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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. cell — in biology
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. pass — a permit
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bank — for money
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bank — for money
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mark — a grade
  22. suit — to fit
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. mark — a trace

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