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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 120 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 · mouse · nail · court · chip · rest · lash · lie

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lie — to recline
  4. court — of law
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. rest — a break
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. court — of a king
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. net — in sport
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. net — for catching
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. court — for sport
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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