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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: charge · mine · fan · bat · safe · net · bear · cue

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bat — the animal
  3. mine — for digging
  4. cue — for pool
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. charge — a price
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. net — after costs
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. net — for catching
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. net — in sport
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cue — a signal
  24. charge — in control

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