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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. foot — a measure
  4. firm — a company
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. net — after costs
  10. content — the amount
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. firm — steady
  13. content — happy
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. net — in sport
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. firm — decided
  23. lie — to recline
  24. foot — the bottom

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