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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 124 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. net — in sport
  3. ball — a dance
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. charge — electricity
  6. kid — child
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kid — to tease
  9. net — for catching
  10. charge — in control
  11. object — a thing
  12. bass — the fish
  13. object — to protest
  14. ball — a great time
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. charge — a price
  17. net — after costs
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bass — low music
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bulb — of a plant

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