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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 120 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. plane — a tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. net — for catching
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. net — in sport
  11. swing — music
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. current — happening now
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. lash — to lash out

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