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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.

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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: stand · wave · wake · hand · current · kick · pop · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. kick — in football
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. current — happening now
  6. hand — in cards
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. net — in sport
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. hand — help
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pop — soda
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. net — for catching
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. current — of water
  24. current — electric

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