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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. net — after costs
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. pound — a weight
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mate — to breed
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. toast — bread
  9. mate — a partner
  10. drill — army training
  11. lie — to recline
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bass — the fish
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. bass — low music
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. toast — the most admired

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