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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: bear · net · straw · leaves · scale · fine · last · nail

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bear — the animal
  4. scale — size or range
  5. fine — high quality
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. scale — in music
  11. net — in sport
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. last — final
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. net — after costs
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. last — to go on
  20. net — for catching
  21. bear — the animal
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. last — finally
  24. fine — all right

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