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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · cabinet · land · squash · snap · nail · jam · patient

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to click
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. land — a country
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. land — to come down
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. squash — to crush
  24. patient — a sick person

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