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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. row — a line
  7. net — in sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. lie — to recline
  11. track — to keep track
  12. saw — the tool
  13. track — a song
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. track — a path
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. net — after costs
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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