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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. wound — an injury
  3. net — after costs
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. last — to go on
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bulb — for light
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. net — in sport
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mate — to breed
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. last — final
  19. mate — a partner
  20. swing — music
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. last — finally
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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