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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. key — for a lock
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. net — for catching
  14. key — in music
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. rash — a series
  18. mate — to breed
  19. net — in sport
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mate — a partner
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mark — a grade

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