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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. net — in sport
  10. track — a song
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. net — for catching
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. track — a path
  18. row — a line
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. track — to keep track
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wave — with your hand

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