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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. net — after costs
  7. object — an aim
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. object — to protest
  10. suit — to fit
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hand — in cards
  13. suit — in cards
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. net — for catching
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. object — a thing
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. scale — in music
  22. hand — help
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. net — in sport

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