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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · net · safe · spell · firm · suit · chair · wound

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. net — in sport
  3. suit — to fit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. firm — a company
  8. suit — in cards
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. spell — letters
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wound — an injury
  13. net — for catching
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. firm — decided
  16. net — after costs
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. firm — steady
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wound — an injury
  22. spell — magic
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chair — a leader

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com