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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. charge — in control
  4. can — a tin
  5. mug — a face
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bank — for money
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. net — for catching
  11. mug — to rob
  12. swing — to play on
  13. kick — in football
  14. can — to be able to
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. can — a tin
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — in golf
  19. net — in sport
  20. bank — of a river
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bank — for money
  23. mug — a cup
  24. charge — a price

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