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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.

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: straw · fan · net · object · fine · tear · bore · pass

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fine — all right
  3. bore — to tire
  4. tear — to rip
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. object — to protest
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. tear — from crying
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. object — a thing
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. net — for catching
  15. bore — to drill
  16. net — in sport
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. object — an aim
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. net — after costs
  24. tear — from crying

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