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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 116 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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. net — after costs
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitch — completely
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fine — all right
  9. net — in sport
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rest — a break
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. plane — a tool
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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