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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. deal — to handle
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. content — the amount
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — happy
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. net — in sport
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. net — for catching
  24. straw — dry grass

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