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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. root — the cause
  3. net — after costs
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. net — in sport
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. net — for catching
  13. ground — crushed
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. root — of a plant
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — the earth
  21. root — of a word
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. sharp — clever
  24. lash — to lash out

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