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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rest — what's left
  4. charge — in control
  5. cap — of ice
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. cap — a hat
  8. charge — a price
  9. net — for catching
  10. snap — to click
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mate — a friend
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. charge — electricity
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mate — to breed
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mate — a partner
  20. net — after costs
  21. rest — a break
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rest — what's left

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