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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. present — there
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. file — a document
  5. net — for catching
  6. pit — in a race
  7. net — in sport
  8. file — a line of people
  9. present — a gift
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pit — a hole
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. file — a tool
  21. cell — in biology
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. present — the time now
  24. cell — a phone

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