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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. drill — the tool
  8. toast — bread
  9. drill — army training
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bark — to shout
  12. net — after costs
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. net — in sport
  15. track — a song
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lean — thin
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. track — to keep track
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. track — a path
  22. drill — a practice
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lean — to bend

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