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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. spell — letters
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bark — to shout
  5. suit — to fit
  6. spell — magic
  7. plane — a tool
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. foot — a measure
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. spell — a short time
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. suit — in cards
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. suit — clothes
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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