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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rash — hasty
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. net — in sport
  9. lie — to recline
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rash — a series
  12. pitch — completely
  13. net — for catching
  14. sharp — clever
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bear — the animal
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bear — the animal

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