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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. net — after costs
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. face — part of the head
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. net — in sport
  8. capital — money
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. saw — the tool
  17. capital — a city
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. face — to confront
  22. net — for catching
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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