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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cell — a phone
  5. staff — employees
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cell — in biology
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. band — a music group
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  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