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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. net — after costs
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. net — for catching
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. firm — decided
  18. net — in sport
  19. tube — a container
  20. firm — a company
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. tube — the underground

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