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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. net — for catching
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. net — after costs
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mate — a friend
  10. swing — to play on
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mate — a partner
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rash — a series
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. swing — music
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rash — hasty
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. net — in sport
  23. swing — in golf
  24. hide — animal skin

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