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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: hide · wound · degree · wave · fine · lie · net · bay

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. net — for catching
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — in sport
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fine — all right
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. lie — to recline
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. net — after costs
  15. degree — temperature
  16. degree — an amount
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wave — of the sea
  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