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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. staff — employees
  3. capital — a city
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rest — what's left
  6. shower — to wash
  7. firm — steady
  8. staff — employees
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. shower — rain
  13. firm — decided
  14. rest — a break
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. rest — what's left
  17. foot — a measure
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. capital — money
  20. net — for catching
  21. firm — a company
  22. staff — a stick
  23. net — in sport
  24. foot — part of the body

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