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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. lie — to recline
  3. swing — in golf
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fine — high quality
  6. swing — music
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. row — to paddle
  9. net — in sport
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. deal — to handle
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. fine — all right
  17. swing — to play on
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. row — a line
  22. net — for catching
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. foot — a measure

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