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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.

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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: saw · racket · fall · rash · safe · key · bat · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. key — for a lock
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. key — the most important part
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. present — a gift
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bat — the animal
  14. key — in music
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rash — a series
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. fall — to drop
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. present — there

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