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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. land — to come down
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — a series
  11. pitch — completely
  12. net — in sport
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. land — ground
  17. spell — letters
  18. rash — hasty
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. spell — magic
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. land — a country

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