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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.

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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: bear · net · snap · kick · rest · jam · spring · deal

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — of water
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. deal — to handle
  13. kick — in football
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. net — for catching
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. spring — the season
  24. snap — to click

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