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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. land — ground
  5. net — after costs
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. land — a country
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lean — thin
  10. land — to come down
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. net — for catching
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. net — in sport
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. present — the time now
  24. stand — for spectators

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