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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
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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: net · wake · hide · mug · spell · fan · bowl · race

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. spell — magic
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mug — a face
  6. race — humankind
  7. mug — to rob
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. net — in sport
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. race — a contest
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — for catching
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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