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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. land — a country
  6. last — finally
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. land — ground
  9. last — to go on
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. tube — a container
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. last — final
  16. net — after costs
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. net — in sport
  19. land — to come down
  20. lean — thin
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. tube — the underground
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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