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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 124 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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. net — in sport
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — government
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. net — for catching
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. cap — of ice
  24. sharp — with an edge

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