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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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. wake — before a funeral
  4. wind — moving air
  5. net — in sport
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wind — moving air
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. net — for catching
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stem — to come from
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wake — a trail
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bay — a horse colour

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