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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. present — a gift
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. toast — bread
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. present — the time now
  12. net — for catching
  13. present — there
  14. net — in sport
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. can — to be able to
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pass — a permit

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