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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. net — for catching
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. net — after costs
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. band — a music group
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. date — the fruit
  11. snap — to click
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. net — in sport
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fan — to cool the air

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