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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rest — what's left
  4. chip — for betting
  5. staff — employees
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. staff — employees
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. shower — to wash
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rest — a break
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. staff — a stick
  15. tube — a container
  16. lean — thin
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. net — in sport
  21. chip — to eat
  22. shower — rain
  23. tube — the underground
  24. net — after costs

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