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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 · mouse · net · swing · saw · can · cold

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. net — for catching
  4. saw — the tool
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. swing — music
  8. staff — employees
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. staff — a stick
  12. cold — not warm
  13. can — a tin
  14. wind — moving air
  15. net — in sport
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. net — after costs
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cold — an illness
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. staff — employees
  23. can — a tin
  24. wind — moving air

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