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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. kick — in football
  15. mine — for digging
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. date — the fruit
  24. trunk — of a tree

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