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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. net — after costs
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. object — an aim
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. staff — employees
  10. net — in sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. object — to protest
  13. staff — a stick
  14. spring — of water
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — a coil
  19. net — for catching
  20. bound — tied together
  21. sharp — clever
  22. club — a group
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. object — a thing

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