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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: lean · bass · last · arm · racket · net · bound · wind

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bass — the fish
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. net — in sport
  7. bass — low music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bound — certain
  13. last — final
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. net — for catching
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. net — after costs
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bound — obliged
  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