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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
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: straw · wind · scale · cap · bore · net · ball · nail

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bore — to drill
  3. scale — size or range
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wind — moving air
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. net — in sport
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cap — a lid
  16. ball — a great time
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. net — for catching
  21. cap — a hat
  22. scale — in music
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cap — of ice

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