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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 120 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
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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: snap · stem · net · fine · wound · sharp · mouse · hide

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. net — for catching
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stem — to come from
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. net — after costs
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fine — all right
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. net — in sport

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