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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. ground — the earth
  4. net — after costs
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. ground — a position
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. snap — to click
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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