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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. net — after costs
  3. kick — in football
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spell — letters
  6. club — for golf
  7. lie — to recline
  8. spell — magic
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. plane — a tool
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. club — for dancing
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. net — for catching
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. prune — to trim
  20. net — in sport
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. club — a group
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. spell — a short time

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