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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mate — a partner
  4. net — after costs
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mate — a friend
  7. swing — to play on
  8. net — for catching
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. sharp — clever
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. swing — music
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pound — a weight
  24. net — in sport

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