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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 116 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: nail · court · last · mate · mark · deal · coach · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. last — finally
  3. mate — a friend
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. court — of law
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. court — of a king
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. court — for sport
  20. last — to go on
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mark — a trace
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. last — final

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