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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. spring — a coil
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. fall — the season
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. track — to keep track
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. net — for catching
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fall — to drop
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rush — hurry

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