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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. net — for catching
  6. last — finally
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lie — to recline
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wake — a trail
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. net — in sport
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. last — final
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. last — to go on
  24. bowl — a dish

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