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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. can — a tin
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. dip — to sink
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. net — in sport
  10. can — to be able to
  11. face — part of the head
  12. can — a tin
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rock — a stone
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. face — to confront
  19. craft — boats
  20. net — for catching
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rock — music
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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