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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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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 · bay · bowl · fall · straw · mate · row · fine

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. fine — high quality
  3. net — after costs
  4. mate — a partner
  5. net — for catching
  6. fine — all right
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. net — in sport
  10. fall — the season
  11. row — a line
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. fall — to drop
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fall — to drop
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mate — to breed

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