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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: current · lie · fan · suit · net · tear · race · file

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. suit — to fit
  3. net — for catching
  4. tear — from crying
  5. suit — clothes
  6. tear — from crying
  7. file — a tool
  8. suit — in cards
  9. race — the arms race
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. current — of water
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — a contest
  15. file — a line of people
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. current — happening now
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. file — a document
  22. current — electric
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. tear — to rip

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