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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. squash — to crush
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. season — in sport
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. squash — the sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. chest — a box
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chest — of your body
  24. season — to add flavour

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