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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: net · band · lie · wind · fine · mug · kid · kick

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. net — in sport
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mug — a face
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. lie — to recline
  10. kid — child
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. band — a music group
  14. wind — moving air
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. net — after costs
  18. fine — all right
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mug — a cup
  23. band — a ring
  24. net — for catching

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