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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rest — what's left
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — to sink
  5. net — in sport
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rest — what's left
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. game — a match
  12. rest — a break
  13. mark — a trace
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. net — after costs
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mark — a grade
  24. game — wild animals

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