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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. net — after costs
  4. lie — to recline
  5. track — to keep track
  6. spring — a coil
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. spring — of water
  10. game — a match
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. spring — the season
  15. track — a path
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. track — a song
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. suit — in cards
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. game — wild animals
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. net — for catching

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