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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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. plane — an aircraft
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. lean — to bend
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. field — farmland
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. plane — a tool
  17. net — in sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. field — for sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lean — thin
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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