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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. press — a publisher
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. key — the most important part
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. net — in sport
  10. charge — a price
  11. key — in music
  12. date — the fruit
  13. press — newspapers
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. charge — in control
  19. wax — to grow
  20. press — to push
  21. net — for catching
  22. key — for a lock
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. object — to protest

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