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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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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: lie · board · cabinet · net · court · kid · face · snap

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. face — to point toward
  4. net — after costs
  5. snap — to click
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. court — of a king
  8. board — to get on
  9. kid — to tease
  10. court — of law
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. board — a committee
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kid — child
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. net — in sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. court — for sport
  24. cabinet — ministers

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