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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 116 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: rash · net · snap · present · kick · cabinet · drill · mouse

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. drill — army training
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. kick — in football
  11. snap — to click
  12. net — in sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rash — a series
  15. net — for catching
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. present — a gift
  23. rash — hasty
  24. kick — with a leg

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