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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: staff · net · kick · bulb · bear · band · lie · leaves

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. staff — employees
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. lie — to recline
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bulb — for light
  9. band — a ring
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bear — the animal
  12. kick — in football
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. net — for catching
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bear — the animal
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. net — in sport
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. staff — employees
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. staff — a stick

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