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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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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rash — hasty
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. tube — the underground
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. tube — a container
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. snap — to click
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rash — a series

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