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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. ground — crushed
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. content — happy
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. net — for catching
  8. ground — a position
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. ground — the earth
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. craft — a skill
  15. content — the amount
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. board — a committee
  18. lie — to recline
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. craft — boats
  24. lie — an untruth

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