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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bear — the animal
  3. net — after costs
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. cell — a phone
  8. net — for catching
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. court — for sport
  12. staff — employees
  13. cell — in biology
  14. court — of law
  15. staff — employees
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bear — the animal
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rest — what's left
  22. net — in sport
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. court — of a king

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