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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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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: mug · deal · leaves · fan · mate · row · wound · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. row — a line
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mug — a cup
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. row — to paddle
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. mug — a face
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mug — to rob
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wound — an injury
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mate — a partner
  22. net — for catching
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mate — to breed

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