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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. net — after costs
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. net — for catching
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. capital — money
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. capital — a city
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. snap — to click
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fine — all right

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