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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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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: lie · pit · swing · wake · nail · wave · snap · net

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. lie — to recline
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. net — for catching
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. pit — in a race
  15. net — after costs
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. net — in sport
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. snap — to click
  22. pit — a hole
  23. swing — in golf
  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