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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. root — of a word
  3. swing — to play on
  4. firm — decided
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. swing — in golf
  7. root — of a plant
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. can — a tin
  11. net — in sport
  12. can — to be able to
  13. swing — music
  14. net — for catching
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. firm — a company
  19. wake — a trail
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. firm — steady
  22. root — the cause
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. lie — to recline

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