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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: net · bear · tear · suit · saw · lash · mate · fine

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mate — a friend
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. suit — clothes
  7. fine — high quality
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. net — in sport
  12. mate — a partner
  13. tear — to rip
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fine — all right
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — after costs
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. suit — to fit
  22. saw — the tool
  23. suit — in cards
  24. fine — a penalty

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