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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: tear · net · dip · tube · foot · fine · row · cabinet

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. foot — a measure
  9. row — a line
  10. net — in sport
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — from crying
  18. fine — all right
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. row — to paddle
  21. dip — to sink
  22. tear — to rip
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. fine — high quality

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