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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: craft · lie · mate · club · rash · deal · net · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. lie — to recline
  3. net — after costs
  4. craft — a skill
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kick — in football
  7. mate — to breed
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. club — for golf
  10. craft — boats
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rash — a series
  13. deal — to handle
  14. club — for dancing
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. net — in sport
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. club — a group
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rash — hasty
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mate — a partner
  24. net — for catching

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