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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 116 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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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: net · drill · pass · mug · tear · wind

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. drill — the tool
  4. net — for catching
  5. mug — a cup
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tear — from crying
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wind — moving air
  14. drill — a practice
  15. mug — to rob
  16. drill — army training
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pass — to succeed

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