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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 116 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. net — after costs
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. can — a tin
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. dip — to sink
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cap — of ice
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. net — for catching
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. can — a tin
  22. wax — to grow
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cap — a lid

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