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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 116 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bear — the animal
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rule — government
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rash — a series
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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