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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. fine — high quality
  3. net — after costs
  4. lean — thin
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rest — a break
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rest — what's left
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rest — what's left
  15. deal — to handle
  16. net — in sport
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. net — for catching
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. plane — in geometry

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