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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. net — for catching
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mate — a partner
  10. plane — a tool
  11. mate — to breed
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. rule — government
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rule — a law
  22. root — of a word
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. plane — an aircraft

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