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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. net — for catching
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. dip — to sink
  10. wound — an injury
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wound — an injury
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — to trim
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. net — after costs

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