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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. net — after costs
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. net — for catching
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. chip — for betting
  11. roll — a list
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. roll — a cake
  17. dip — to sink
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. dip — to dunk

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