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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. lie — to recline
  3. net — for catching
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mug — a cup
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. net — after costs
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bass — the fish
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bass — low music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. plane — a tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. net — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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