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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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. lie — to recline
  3. net — for catching
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. sharp — clever
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. net — after costs
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. wound — an injury
  21. net — in sport
  22. board — a committee
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bat — for baseball

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