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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: straw · net · bank · wind · saw · drill · ruler · suit

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. drill — army training
  3. saw — the tool
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wind — moving air
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. suit — to fit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. net — for catching
  15. suit — clothes
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. bank — for money
  19. suit — in cards
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. drill — a practice
  23. net — in sport
  24. drill — the tool

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