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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: wound · bowl · racket · fan · staff · lie · net · row

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. wound — an injury
  2. row — a line
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. staff — employees
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. net — in sport
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. staff — employees
  14. lie — to recline
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. row — to paddle
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. net — after costs
  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