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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. net — after costs
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. scale — in music
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. net — for catching
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. squash — to crush
  19. scale — size or range
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cell — in biology
  23. net — in sport
  24. squash — the sport

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