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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. last — finally
  3. land — ground
  4. saw — the tool
  5. net — for catching
  6. land — to come down
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. land — a country
  10. last — final
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. net — in sport
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. saw — the tool
  18. last — to go on

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