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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: wind · staff · pop · object · saw · net · perch · stand

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. net — in sport
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — to visit
  5. staff — employees
  6. wind — moving air
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. staff — a stick
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pop — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. net — after costs
  15. saw — the tool
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. net — for catching
  23. object — to protest
  24. staff — employees

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