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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 124 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. object — a thing
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cell — a phone
  7. net — for catching
  8. snap — to click
  9. object — to protest
  10. scale — size or range
  11. saw — the tool
  12. scale — in music
  13. net — in sport
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. object — an aim
  22. net — after costs
  23. deal — to handle
  24. scale — for weighing

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