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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. spell — magic
  3. fine — high quality
  4. tube — a container
  5. bass — low music
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. face — to confront
  9. spell — letters
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. spell — a short time
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. snap — to click
  22. tube — the underground
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bass — the fish

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