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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. march — the month
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. board — to get on
  5. tear — to rip
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. tear — from crying
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. march — the month
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. board — a committee
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. tear — from crying
  20. lie — to recline
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. march — music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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