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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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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: snap · drill · rock · arm · lie · nail · straw · saw

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. saw — the tool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. lie — to recline
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. saw — the tool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. drill — army training
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. snap — to click
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — the tool

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