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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: patient · rule · lie · net · foot · prune · wound · present

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — for catching
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. lie — to recline
  5. net — in sport
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. foot — a measure
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wound — an injury
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. present — there
  17. rule — a law
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rule — government
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. patient — a sick person

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