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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: band · net · snap · sharp · fine · hide · straw · mouse

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. net — in sport
  3. sharp — clever
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. band — a music group
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. net — for catching
  9. fine — high quality
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. band — a ring
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. net — after costs
  20. snap — to click
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fine — a penalty

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