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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pass — a permit
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cell — in biology
  11. drill — a practice
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cap — a hat
  17. drill — army training
  18. cap — a lid
  19. snap — to click
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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