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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. saw — the tool
  3. net — after costs
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. tear — to rip
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pop — soda
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — to get on
  12. pop — to visit
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. tear — from crying
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. net — in sport
  17. pop — music
  18. board — a committee

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