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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 120 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fine — all right
  4. present — there
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. present — a gift
  9. fine — high quality
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wind — moving air
  12. present — the time now
  13. lie — to recline
  14. net — after costs
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. net — for catching
  18. wind — moving air

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