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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: wind · fan · bound · net · hand · stand · can · rush

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. net — after costs
  3. hand — help
  4. net — in sport
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. net — for catching
  14. can — a tin
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wind — moving air
  17. can — a tin
  18. bound — certain
  19. stand — to bear
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rush — hurry
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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