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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 116 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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. board — to get on
  3. fine — all right
  4. rock — music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. kid — child
  10. band — a music group
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. band — a ring
  14. net — in sport
  15. kid — to tease
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. board — a committee
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. net — for catching
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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