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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: net · lean · date · mouse · row · safe · fan · coach

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. row — a line
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. net — for catching
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. net — in sport
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. net — after costs
  18. lean — to bend
  19. date — the fruit
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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