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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · net · mine · wound · mate · cap · chest · deal

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mate — a partner
  3. chest — a box
  4. deal — to handle
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cap — a hat
  8. mate — to breed
  9. net — for catching
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. cap — of ice
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rush — hurry
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mate — a friend
  22. net — after costs
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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