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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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. bay — to keep at bay
  4. staff — employees
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rule — a law
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rule — government
  14. hand — help
  15. fine — all right
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. tear — to rip
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. net — in sport
  22. pit — in a race
  23. staff — employees
  24. fine — high quality

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