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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
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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: lie · hand · race · saw · net · wax · hide · mouse

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. race — the arms race
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. net — for catching
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. race — a contest
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. net — in sport
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hand — help
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. race — humankind
  19. hand — in cards
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wax — to grow
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mouse — the animal

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