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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. hand — help
  5. current — happening now
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. current — electric
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. chip — for betting
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. chip — to eat
  16. net — after costs
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. current — of water
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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