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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. can — a tin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. net — in sport
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. net — after costs
  8. bass — the fish
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. spell — letters
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bass — low music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. can — a tin
  17. sharp — clever
  18. spell — magic
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. net — for catching
  21. spell — a short time
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. hide — to keep secret

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