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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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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 · saw · bowl · wind · nail · rule · band · leaves

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. net — for catching
  3. band — a ring
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. band — a music group
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wind — moving air
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bowl — to roll

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