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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: face · current · net · snap · season · lie · wind · wave

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. face — to confront
  5. current — happening now
  6. season — of the year
  7. net — for catching
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. snap — to click
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. season — in sport
  14. current — electric
  15. face — part of the head
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. current — of water
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wind — moving air
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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