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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.

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: arm · pound · bowl · present · lie · plane · sharp · net

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. net — after costs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. sharp — clever
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. present — there
  11. net — in sport
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. lie — to recline
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. plane — a tool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. net — for catching
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. present — the time now
  24. arm — a part of something

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