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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 116 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. chair — a leader
  7. plane — a tool
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. bank — of a river
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. track — a song
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. object — a thing
  17. track — to keep track
  18. object — to protest
  19. bank — for money
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bank — for money
  23. track — a path
  24. object — an aim

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