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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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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: tear · nail · last · safe · straw · cabinet · wind · row

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. tear — from crying
  3. last — finally
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. wind — moving air
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. last — to go on
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. last — final
  23. row — a line
  24. wind — to turn a key

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