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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. net — after costs
  2. lie — to recline
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. roll — a list
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bark — to shout
  8. ball — a dance
  9. spring — of water
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. roll — a cake
  13. spring — the season
  14. net — for catching
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. net — in sport

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