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

Word bank: straw · nail · rush · net · hand · bank

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. hand — help
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. bank — for money
  7. hand — in cards
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. net — in sport
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bank — of a river
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bank — for money

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