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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. fall — to drop
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. fall — the season
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spring — a coil
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. lie — to recline
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cap — a hat
  16. net — for catching
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. spring — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spring — of water
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. calf — a young 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