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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. net — after costs
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mate — a friend
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. net — in sport
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bass — low music
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. net — for catching
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cell — a phone
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. lash — an eyelash

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