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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. net — for catching
  5. firm — decided
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. present — there
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. firm — steady
  15. net — in sport
  16. present — a gift
  17. firm — a company
  18. rash — a series
  19. season — of the year
  20. rash — hasty
  21. toast — bread
  22. present — the time now
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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