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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
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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: bear · straw · row · staff · net · season · nail · race

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. net — for catching
  4. race — a contest
  5. season — of the year
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bear — the animal
  8. race — the arms race
  9. staff — employees
  10. net — in sport
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. staff — a stick
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. row — to paddle
  17. season — in sport
  18. staff — employees
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. row — a line
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. race — humankind
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — dry grass

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