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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. net — after costs
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. present — the time now
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bat — the animal
  10. net — for catching
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. net — in sport
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. key — in music
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. plane — an aircraft

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