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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stick · object · mine · rash · snap · net · fine · foot

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. object — to protest
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mine — for digging
  7. fine — high quality
  8. net — for catching
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. object — an aim
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. net — in sport
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. net — after costs
  18. object — a thing
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. snap — to click
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. rash — a series
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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