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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 120 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 keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. track — to keep track
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. net — for catching
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. net — in sport
  12. fine — all right
  13. current — happening now
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. track — a song
  16. vault — a safe
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. current — of water
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. track — a path
  21. current — electric
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. calf — a young animal

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