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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. club — for golf
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fall — to drop
  8. net — after costs
  9. club — a group
  10. object — an aim
  11. fall — to drop
  12. spring — the season
  13. lie — to recline
  14. net — in sport
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. club — for dancing
  18. fall — the season
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. sharp — clever
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. spring — of water
  24. deal — to handle

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