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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: straw · firm · nail · season · bass · hand · perch · vault

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. firm — steady
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. hand — help
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bass — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. firm — a company
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — low music
  19. vault — a safe
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. hand — in cards
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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