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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. dip — to sink
  3. hand — help
  4. cue — a hint
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. net — in sport
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rest — a break
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. plane — a tool
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rest — what's left
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. net — for catching

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