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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 120 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 · saw · fan · net · lie · tube · hide · lean

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. current — electric
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. saw — the tool
  12. current — happening now
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. current — of water
  20. tube — a container
  21. lean — thin
  22. net — after costs
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lean — to bend

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