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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: charge · lie · net · mouse · bowl · fine · wound · wake

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. net — in sport
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. net — after costs
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. lie — to recline
  20. charge — a price
  21. net — for catching
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. charge — in control
  24. mouse — for a computer

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