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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. rest — what's left
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. face — to confront
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wound — an injury
  12. vault — a safe
  13. rest — a break
  14. face — to point toward
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cue — a hint
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mark — a trace
  21. net — in sport
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wound — an injury
  24. face — part of the head

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