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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. plane — a tool
  5. spring — of water
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. net — in sport
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. object — a thing
  12. key — in music
  13. spring — the season
  14. object — to protest
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. object — an aim
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. key — for a lock
  19. spring — a coil
  20. net — for catching
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bowl — a dish

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