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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 120 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 · kick · stem · saw · temple · nail · swing · current

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. swing — music
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. saw — the tool
  13. current — of water
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. current — happening now
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. kick — in football
  20. current — electric
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stem — to come from
  24. nail — on a finger

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