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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cue — a hint
  5. spell — a short time
  6. lie — to recline
  7. net — in sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. net — after costs
  13. spell — magic
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bass — the fish
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. spell — letters
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bass — low music
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bass — the instrument

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