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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. face — to point toward
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. perch — the fish
  9. fine — high quality
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. shower — rain
  14. net — for catching
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. face — to confront
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fine — all right
  21. net — in sport
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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