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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. root — of a plant
  7. net — for catching
  8. fall — to drop
  9. net — in sport
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. root — the cause
  13. kick — in football
  14. cue — for pool
  15. suit — to fit
  16. root — of a word
  17. season — in sport
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. cue — a hint
  24. season — of the year

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