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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 · wave · present · stock · fork · temple · lie · mate

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. present — there
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mate — a friend
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. net — in sport
  10. present — a gift
  11. stock — shares
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. net — for catching
  15. present — the time now
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. net — after costs
  22. stock — goods
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. lie — an untruth

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