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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: pass · squash · march · saw · object · net · straw · arm

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. net — after costs
  4. march — music
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. squash — the sport
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. march — the month
  12. object — to protest
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. net — in sport
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. saw — the tool
  18. squash — to crush
  19. march — the month
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. saw — the tool
  22. object — a thing
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. net — for catching

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