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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. chest — a box
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. net — for catching
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. net — after costs
  10. pass — a permit
  11. fine — all right
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. object — to protest
  15. net — in sport
  16. lie — to recline
  17. mark — a trace
  18. hand — help
  19. object — a thing
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fine — high quality
  24. hand — in cards

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