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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. net — in sport
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. can — a tin
  8. kick — in football
  9. wound — an injury
  10. net — after costs
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rash — a series
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. can — a tin
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wound — an injury
  18. scale — size or range
  19. rash — hasty
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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