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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. tube — a container
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. vault — a safe
  11. spell — letters
  12. net — in sport
  13. tube — the underground
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. spell — magic
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wake — a trail
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. spell — a short time

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