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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 120 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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. mug — a face
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. net — in sport
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bass — the fish
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bass — low music
  15. pit — a hole
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mug — to rob
  20. pit — in a race
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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