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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: land · staff · straw · nail · hide · bass · net · fine

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bass — low music
  7. staff — employees
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. land — a country
  10. net — after costs
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. fine — high quality
  16. net — for catching
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. net — in sport
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fine — all right
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. hide — to keep secret

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