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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. net — for catching
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. suit — in cards
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cold — an illness
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. suit — clothes
  20. net — in sport
  21. tube — a container
  22. cold — not warm
  23. key — in music
  24. bulb — for light

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