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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.

Make a worksheet

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

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. scale — in music
  3. wind — moving air
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. scale — size or range
  11. net — for catching
  12. mug — to rob
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. rash — a series
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wind — moving air
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. saw — the tool
  21. net — in sport
  22. mug — a face
  23. net — after costs
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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