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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. prune — to trim
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. row — a line
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. prune — to trim
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. nail — on a finger

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