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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. net — after costs
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mark — a trace
  8. dip — to sink
  9. press — to push
  10. ball — a dance
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ball — a great time
  15. press — newspapers
  16. foot — a measure
  17. net — in sport
  18. press — a publisher
  19. drill — the tool
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. net — for catching

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