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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. ground — crushed
  3. wind — moving air
  4. net — after costs
  5. firm — decided
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mark — a trace
  9. net — for catching
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. lie — to recline
  12. firm — steady
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. mark — a grade
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. foot — a measure
  21. net — in sport
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mark — to pay attention

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