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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · mate · toast · tube · rash · ruler · lie · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mate — a partner
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. toast — bread
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mate — to breed
  13. tube — the underground
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. lie — to recline
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bulb — for light
  19. net — for catching
  20. tube — a container
  21. net — in sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rash — a series
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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