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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. race — humankind
  3. net — for catching
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bear — the animal
  7. object — an aim
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. bear — the animal
  12. race — a contest
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. object — a thing
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hand — in cards
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. hand — help
  20. net — in sport
  21. wind — moving air
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. object — to protest
  24. race — the arms race

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