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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bass — low music
  6. saw — the tool
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. current — electric
  11. hand — help
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bass — the fish
  15. suit — clothes
  16. current — happening now
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. current — of water
  20. net — in sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. hand — in cards

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