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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. track — a song
  6. craft — a skill
  7. track — to keep track
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kick — in football
  12. craft — boats
  13. wound — an injury
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pop — soda
  16. track — a path
  17. wound — an injury
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pop — music
  22. net — for catching
  23. pop — to visit
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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