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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. land — a country
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pass — a permit
  6. net — for catching
  7. lie — to recline
  8. land — ground
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cell — in biology
  11. land — to come down
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cell — a phone
  16. net — in sport
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. scale — in music
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. net — after costs
  24. cell — in a prison

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