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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cabinet · object · mouse · band · lie · snap · drill

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. drill — army training
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. band — a ring
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. object — a thing
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — for catching
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. band — a music group
  13. object — an aim
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lie — to recline
  17. net — in sport
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. drill — the tool
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. drill — a practice
  24. object — to protest

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