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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. object — a thing
  4. fine — all right
  5. present — there
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. object — to protest
  8. net — for catching
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. net — after costs
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. fine — high quality
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. present — a gift
  17. chest — of your body
  18. branch — a division
  19. chest — a box
  20. net — in sport
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. present — the time now

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