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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. charge — a price
  3. net — for catching
  4. lie — to recline
  5. spring — the season
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. net — after costs
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. spring — of water
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wake — a trail
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. net — in sport

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