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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. face — to confront
  3. net — in sport
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. face — part of the head
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. tube — a container
  12. face — to point toward
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mark — a trace
  21. net — for catching
  22. mark — a grade
  23. craft — boats
  24. tube — the underground

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