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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. net — after costs
  3. fall — to drop
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. staff — employees
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. row — a line
  10. net — in sport
  11. object — to protest
  12. kick — in football
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bulb — for light
  15. staff — employees
  16. bulb — for light
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fall — the season
  19. object — an aim
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. staff — a stick
  22. swing — to play on
  23. net — for catching
  24. bulb — of a plant

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