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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 116 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: net · drill · pass · mug · tear · wind · scale · deal

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mug — to rob
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. drill — army training
  11. net — in sport
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mug — a face
  15. wind — moving air
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. tear — from crying
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mug — a cup

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