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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: nail · net · mate · stand · mug · snap · band · season

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. season — of the year
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. net — for catching
  10. mate — to breed
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a music group
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mug — to rob
  18. season — in sport
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. net — in sport
  22. snap — to click
  23. net — after costs
  24. season — to add flavour

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