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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hand — in cards
  5. net — for catching
  6. object — a thing
  7. net — in sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stock — shares
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. object — an aim
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rest — a break
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. stock — goods
  20. hand — help
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. object — to protest
  24. hand — part of the body

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