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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.

Make a worksheet

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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. cue — a hint
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. saw — the tool
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. net — in sport
  18. saw — the tool
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cue — for pool
  21. net — for catching
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. lash — an eyelash

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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