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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 ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. race — the arms race
  5. cue — a hint
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. race — a contest
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cap — a hat
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cue — a signal
  15. file — a tool
  16. cap — of ice
  17. file — a document
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. race — humankind
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cap — a lid
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. trunk — of a car

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