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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
468
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: wave · lie · arm · chip · net · rash · field · ball

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. chip — to eat
  6. net — for catching
  7. field — farmland
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. field — for sport
  10. chip — for betting
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. field — a subject
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. net — after costs
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — a series
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. net — in sport
  24. ball — a round shape

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