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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stem · net · fine · lie · spell · kick · date · chair

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. spell — magic
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. net — for catching
  5. lie — to recline
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — high quality
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stem — to come from
  12. date — the fruit
  13. spell — letters
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. chair — a leader
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. net — after costs

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