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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. net — for catching
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lean — thin
  5. march — music
  6. dip — to sink
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. object — to protest
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lean — to bend
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. object — an aim
  16. march — the month
  17. net — after costs
  18. mate — a friend
  19. net — in sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. object — a thing
  24. march — the month

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