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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. face — to confront
  3. net — for catching
  4. plane — a tool
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. face — to point toward
  12. mug — to rob
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. sharp — clever
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. net — in sport
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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