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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. net — in sport
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mate — a partner
  11. last — to go on
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. net — after costs
  17. last — final
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mate — to breed
  23. last — finally
  24. dip — to sink

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