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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: lie · prune · net · mug · rash · ball · mouse · rule

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mug — a face
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. net — in sport
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. net — for catching
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mug — to rob
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. ball — a great time
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rule — a law
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rash — a series
  21. rule — government
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. prune — the fruit

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