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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. object — an aim
  3. stand — to bear
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. file — a tool
  7. capital — money
  8. net — for catching
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. dip — to sink
  17. net — in sport
  18. object — a thing
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. file — a document
  21. object — to protest
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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