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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. lean — thin
  5. spell — a short time
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. spell — letters
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. lean — to bend
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bound — certain
  19. charge — in control
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spell — magic
  22. land — ground
  23. charge — a price
  24. lean — to rest against

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