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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. net — after costs
  4. stem — to come from
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. present — there
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. cap — of ice
  9. net — for catching
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. drill — army training
  12. cap — a hat
  13. net — in sport
  14. drill — a practice
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. present — the time now
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cap — a lid
  22. drill — the tool
  23. present — a gift
  24. lie — an untruth

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