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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. net — after costs
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. content — happy
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. net — in sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wound — an injury
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wound — an injury
  21. net — for catching
  22. content — the amount
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. lie — an untruth

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