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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. lean — to bend
  7. net — for catching
  8. present — there
  9. fine — high quality
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. spell — letters
  13. fine — all right
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. spell — magic
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. lean — thin
  24. net — in sport

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