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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. swing — to play on
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. can — a tin
  11. toast — bread
  12. lie — to recline
  13. net — after costs
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. can — to be able to
  17. net — for catching
  18. wound — an injury
  19. swing — in golf
  20. can — a tin
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. swing — music

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