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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: straw · racket · hand · wave · saw · squash · net · pass

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. net — in sport
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. squash — the sport
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. pass — a permit
  17. hand — help
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. hand — in cards
  22. saw — the tool
  23. squash — to crush
  24. racket — for tennis

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