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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: cap · hand · ruler · nail · net · mug · wind · season

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. net — in sport
  8. cap — a hat
  9. hand — in cards
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mug — to rob
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. season — of the year
  14. wind — moving air
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. season — in sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

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