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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wake · lie · mug · wind · net · date · can · rest

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. wind — moving air
  3. net — after costs
  4. can — a tin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. date — the fruit
  7. rest — what's left
  8. can — a tin
  9. net — for catching
  10. mug — to rob
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. net — in sport
  14. mug — a face
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rest — a break
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. can — to be able to
  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