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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mark — a trace
  3. fall — the season
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. can — to be able to
  8. fall — to drop
  9. net — for catching
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. squash — the sport
  12. chest — a box
  13. can — a tin
  14. chest — of your body
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mark — a grade
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. net — in sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. mark — to pay attention

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