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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.

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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. firm — decided
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mine — for digging
  7. net — in sport
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. firm — a company
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. foot — a measure
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. net — for catching
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. firm — steady
  18. mine — belonging to me

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