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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: lie · fan · mate · scale · bore · mine · net · wave

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mate — a partner
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. net — for catching
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. scale — size or range
  16. scale — in music
  17. mine — for digging
  18. net — after costs
  19. bore — to tire
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mate — to breed
  23. net — in sport
  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