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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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 · staff · net · kid · bowl · cabinet · rash · fine

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. staff — employees
  5. net — after costs
  6. fine — all right
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. kid — child
  11. wind — moving air
  12. net — for catching
  13. wind — moving air
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. rash — a series
  18. net — in sport
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — to tease
  22. fine — high quality
  23. staff — employees
  24. rash — hasty

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