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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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. lash — to lash out
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. deal — to handle
  10. face — part of the head
  11. scale — size or range
  12. face — to point toward
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mate — a partner
  16. scale — in music
  17. face — to confront
  18. net — in sport
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. net — after costs
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. mate — to breed

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