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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. net — after costs
  3. rest — a break
  4. net — for catching
  5. suit — in cards
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cold — an illness
  9. mark — a trace
  10. suit — to fit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mark — a grade
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. net — in sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cold — not warm
  20. can — to be able to
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. suit — clothes
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. mark — to pay attention

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