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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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Word bank
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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. rash — hasty
  4. key — the most important part
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fine — all right
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. capital — money
  10. capital — a city
  11. key — in music
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. cue — a hint
  19. rash — a series
  20. cue — a signal
  21. fine — high quality
  22. cue — for pool
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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