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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.

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: fork · temple · net · lie · snap · mine · fine · pitcher

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lie — to recline
  3. net — for catching
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fork — in a road
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. net — after costs
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. snap — to click
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — high quality
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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