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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. wake — a trail
  4. net — after costs
  5. object — to protest
  6. can — a tin
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. object — an aim
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. object — a thing
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. plane — a tool
  24. cold — an illness

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