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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: safe · charge · wind · net · cue · arm · coach · saw

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. cue — a hint
  7. charge — in control
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. charge — a price
  10. net — for catching
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. net — after costs
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. wind — moving air
  19. net — in sport
  20. cue — for pool
  21. charge — electricity
  22. saw — the tool
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. coach — a trainer

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