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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. tear — from crying
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. net — in sport
  6. rule — a law
  7. tear — to rip
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. net — for catching
  10. mark — a grade
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mark — a trace
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rule — government
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. foot — a measure
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tear — from crying

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