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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. net — in sport
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hand — in cards
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. net — after costs
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. hand — help
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. current — of water
  12. dip — to sink
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. current — happening now
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. net — for catching
  18. current — electric

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