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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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. drill — a practice
  4. staff — employees
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. present — there
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. drill — army training
  15. present — a gift
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. staff — employees
  18. drill — the tool
  19. present — the time now
  20. net — for catching
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. staff — a stick

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