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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spell — letters
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. staff — employees
  8. mark — a trace
  9. spell — a short time
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. mark — a grade
  12. band — a music group
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. staff — a stick
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. band — a ring
  20. spell — magic
  21. staff — employees
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. hide — to keep secret

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