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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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lie — to recline
  4. net — after costs
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. saw — the tool
  8. root — of a word
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. root — of a plant
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. net — in sport
  14. root — the cause
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fan — a supporter

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