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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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Word bank
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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: bore · nail · straw · pass · squash · game · stick · land

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bore — to drill
  9. squash — to crush
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. game — a match
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. squash — the sport
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. land — ground
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. land — to come down
  22. game — wild animals
  23. land — a country
  24. nail — for a hammer

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