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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 116 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: lean · net · current · face · ball · lie · deal · wound

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. ball — a great time
  5. net — in sport
  6. current — of water
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. lean — thin
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wound — an injury
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lean — to bend
  16. face — part of the head
  17. net — for catching
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. deal — an agreement

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