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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. kid — to tease
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rash — hasty
  9. staff — employees
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. net — in sport
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. net — for catching
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. bound — certain
  20. bound — obliged
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rash — a series
  24. bay — a horse colour

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