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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rash — hasty
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bear — the animal
  9. charge — in control
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. lie — to recline
  12. net — in sport
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. net — after costs
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. charge — a price
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rash — a series
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bear — the animal
  24. charge — electricity

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