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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. kick — in football
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. net — for catching
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. bear — the animal
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. net — in sport
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. lean — thin
  23. dip — to sink
  24. lean — to bend

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