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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rush — hurry
  5. saw — the tool
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — a safe
  8. board — a committee
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. board — to get on
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. net — for catching
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bank — of a river
  15. saw — the tool
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bank — for money
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. bank — for money
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rush — to hurry

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