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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lie — to recline
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. plane — a tool
  6. net — in sport
  7. key — in music
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. shower — rain
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. net — after costs
  16. key — the most important part
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. key — for a lock
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bear — the animal
  24. net — for catching

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