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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: net · hide · lean · wake · field · charge · racket · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. lean — to bend
  7. net — after costs
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. field — a subject
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. field — for sport
  16. lean — thin
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. charge — a price
  20. wake — a trail
  21. field — farmland
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — in control
  24. wake — before a funeral

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