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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. suit — to fit
  3. face — to confront
  4. spell — letters
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. net — in sport
  7. face — part of the head
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. net — for catching
  10. suit — clothes
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. face — to point toward
  14. squash — to crush
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. spell — magic
  20. suit — in cards
  21. spell — a short time
  22. key — in music
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. present — the time now

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