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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. lean — thin
  3. tube — a container
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. toast — bread
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. net — for catching
  11. season — of the year
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. season — in sport
  16. net — in sport
  17. clip — to cut
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — for paper
  21. tube — the underground
  22. deal — to handle
  23. lean — to bend
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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