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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 120 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: saw · nail · straw · calf · rush · last · swing · wave

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. swing — music
  4. last — finally
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. last — final
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. swing — in golf
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. last — to go on
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. saw — 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