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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. net — after costs
  8. squash — the sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hand — help
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bowl — a football final

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