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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. net — for catching
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rest — what's left
  6. net — after costs
  7. rest — a break
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — an aim
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. last — to go on
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. net — in sport
  16. lie — to recline
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. last — final
  21. object — a thing
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. last — finally
  24. lie — an untruth

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