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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. lean — to bend
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. net — in sport
  14. ball — a dance
  15. net — for catching
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bass — low music
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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