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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. dip — to sink
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. firm — a company
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bore — to drill
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. cell — in biology
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cell — a phone
  20. firm — decided
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. firm — steady
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. craft — boats

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