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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. band — a ring
  3. net — in sport
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wind — moving air
  6. band — a music group
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. scale — size or range
  14. net — for catching
  15. scale — in music
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wind — moving air
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pass — a permit
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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