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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. lean — to bend
  4. mark — a grade
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lean — thin
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — in sport
  9. can — a tin
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bass — low music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. can — a tin
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. dip — to sink
  24. can — to be able to

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