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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bank — for money
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. board — a committee
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. hand — help
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pass — a permit
  21. board — to get on
  22. net — in sport
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. net — for catching

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