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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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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: net · rule · toast · mouse · last · kid · present · lie

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. net — in sport
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — after costs
  7. present — there
  8. rule — government
  9. kid — child
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. last — to go on
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. net — for catching
  15. last — final
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. present — a gift
  20. toast — bread
  21. last — finally
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rule — a law

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