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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: firm · spell · bulb · net · safe · chest · wind · bat

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bat — the animal
  3. spell — letters
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. net — after costs
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. chest — of your body
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bulb — for light
  11. net — in sport
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. firm — steady
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wind — moving air
  19. chest — a box
  20. firm — decided
  21. wind — moving air
  22. spell — magic
  23. firm — a company
  24. bulb — for light

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