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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bass · net · hide · cap · lie · wake · suit · kick

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. net — for catching
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lie — to recline
  7. suit — to fit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wake — a trail
  10. cap — of ice
  11. suit — clothes
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cap — a lid
  19. net — in sport
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. suit — in cards
  24. net — after costs

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