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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. spell — letters
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. season — in sport
  9. can — to be able to
  10. spell — a short time
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. net — in sport
  17. cue — a hint
  18. spell — magic
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fall — the season
  21. can — a tin
  22. cue — for pool
  23. can — a tin
  24. season — of the year

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