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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.

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
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: net · straw · key · firm · snap · nail · fine · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. fine — high quality
  3. net — in sport
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bass — the fish
  6. net — after costs
  7. key — the most important part
  8. firm — decided
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. snap — to click
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fine — all right
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. net — for catching
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. key — for a lock
  22. firm — a company
  23. key — in music
  24. firm — steady

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