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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 120 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. fine — all right
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mug — to rob
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fine — high quality
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. shower — rain
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. mug — a cup
  21. shower — to wash
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mug — a face
  24. tear — to rip

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