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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. net — for catching
  3. lie — to recline
  4. face — part of the head
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bass — low music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bass — the fish
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pound — a weight
  17. fine — all right
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. face — to confront
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. face — to point toward
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. bass — the instrument

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