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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: saw · fan · firm · safe · foot · net · mine · squash

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. firm — steady
  3. net — in sport
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. net — after costs
  8. firm — a company
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. saw — the tool
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. net — for catching
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. saw — the tool
  21. squash — to crush
  22. firm — decided
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. safe — out of danger

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