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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.

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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 · net · board · hide · mate · hand · mark · scale

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. net — for catching
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mark — a grade
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. scale — in music
  9. net — in sport
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. board — a committee
  12. net — after costs
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. mate — a friend
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. hand — help
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. hand — in cards
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. board — to get on
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. scale — size or range

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