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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lean · object · wake · wound · craft · net · dip · pound

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. net — after costs
  4. object — a thing
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lean — to bend
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wound — an injury
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. object — to protest
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pound — a weight
  16. craft — a skill
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. object — an aim
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lean — thin
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. craft — boats
  23. net — in sport
  24. pound — to hit hard

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