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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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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bank — for money
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wind — moving air
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. track — a path
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. track — a song
  24. chair — to sit on

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