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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: sharp · tube · rash · net · mouse · bat · lie · root

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. net — in sport
  3. tube — a container
  4. net — for catching
  5. root — of a word
  6. bat — the animal
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lie — to recline
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rash — a series
  21. net — after costs
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. root — the cause

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