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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 120 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. lie — to recline
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. content — happy
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. board — to get on
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. content — the amount
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. net — in sport
  19. board — a committee
  20. kick — in football
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wax — to grow

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