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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. can — a tin
  3. net — after costs
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bear — the animal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. field — farmland
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. net — for catching
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. field — for sport
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. field — a subject
  20. can — a tin
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. deal — to handle
  24. temple — side of the head

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