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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. wind — moving air
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. staff — employees
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rash — a series
  21. lie — to recline
  22. net — after costs
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. staff — employees

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