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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: racket · hide · wind · present · current · wave · lie · net

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. current — of water
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. net — in sport
  9. present — the time now
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. present — a gift
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lie — to recline
  14. net — for catching
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. wind — moving air
  17. current — electric
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. current — happening now
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. present — there
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. net — after costs
  24. wind — moving air

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