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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 116 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cap — a lid
  3. net — after costs
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. net — in sport
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mate — to breed
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. net — for catching
  14. rest — a break
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bank — for money
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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