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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 116 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. land — a country
  3. mug — a cup
  4. net — after costs
  5. bank — for money
  6. mug — a face
  7. season — in sport
  8. perch — the fish
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. net — in sport
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. land — ground
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bank — for money
  16. mug — to rob
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. season — of the year
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. net — for catching
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. land — to come down
  24. bank — of a river

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