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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. net — in sport
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rule — a law
  5. roll — a cake
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. fine — high quality
  8. roll — a list
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. fine — all right
  15. kick — in football
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rule — government
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. lean — thin
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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