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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
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: fine · court · wind · snap · saw · tube · cabinet · bass

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bass — the fish
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. court — for sport
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. tube — a container
  17. wind — moving air
  18. court — of a king
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bass — low music
  21. tube — the underground
  22. court — of law
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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