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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lie — to recline
  3. net — for catching
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. net — after costs
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. can — to be able to
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. net — in sport

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