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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 · safe · wind · cabinet · wave · staff · file · ball

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. staff — employees
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. net — after costs
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. staff — employees
  12. file — a document
  13. wind — moving air
  14. net — for catching
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. file — a tool
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. ball — a dance
  19. file — a line of people
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. net — in sport
  23. staff — a stick
  24. cabinet — ministers

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