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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. net — in sport
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. tear — from crying
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fine — high quality
  22. plane — a tool
  23. tear — to rip
  24. fine — all right

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