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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. clip — for paper
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. net — for catching
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. clip — a video
  9. charge — in control
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bulb — for light
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. charge — electricity
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. current — of water
  16. clip — to cut
  17. charge — a price
  18. current — electric
  19. fine — all right
  20. bulb — for light
  21. current — happening now
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. fine — high quality
  24. snap — to click

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