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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 120 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. track — a path
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. track — a song
  6. net — for catching
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. track — to keep track
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. drill — a practice
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. net — after costs
  18. drill — army training
  19. net — in sport
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. drill — the tool
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bat — the animal

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