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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. net — after costs
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rock — a stone
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rock — music
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. net — in sport
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. board — a committee
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. nail — on a finger

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