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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. net — for catching
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. capital — money
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — a city
  12. mug — to rob
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mug — a face
  16. net — in sport
  17. bound — certain
  18. kick — in football
  19. pass — a permit
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bound — tied together

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