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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. spell — magic
  3. net — in sport
  4. rock — a stone
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. scale — in music
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. degree — an amount
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. hand — help
  17. degree — temperature
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rock — music
  20. hand — in cards
  21. net — for catching
  22. scale — size or range
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. degree — from a university

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