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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 120 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. stand — to bear
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. net — in sport
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ground — a position
  8. net — after costs
  9. can — to be able to
  10. staff — employees
  11. spell — letters
  12. ground — the earth
  13. game — a match
  14. staff — employees
  15. can — a tin
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. staff — a stick
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. can — a tin
  20. net — for catching
  21. ground — crushed
  22. spell — magic
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. game — wild animals

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