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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: ball · sharp · shower · stick · net · safe · lean · hand

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. hand — in cards
  4. net — for catching
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. ball — a great time
  7. lean — to bend
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. shower — to wash
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. shower — rain
  12. sharp — clever
  13. hand — help
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lean — thin
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. net — in sport
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. net — after costs

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