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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. suit — to fit
  3. net — in sport
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. fall — the season
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. date — the fruit
  17. net — for catching
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cap — of ice
  21. fall — to drop
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. suit — in cards

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