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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: swing · calf · rule · last · straw · tube · stand · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. last — to go on
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. last — finally
  7. tube — a container
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tube — the underground
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. last — final
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rule — a law
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stand — to bear
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. straw — a straw man

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