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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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. dip — to sink
  3. file — a document
  4. net — for catching
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fall — the season
  11. lean — thin
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rush — hurry
  15. file — a tool
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. net — in sport
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. fall — to drop
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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