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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 · wake · mug · straw · squash · leaves · rock · club

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rock — a stone
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. mug — to rob
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. club — for golf
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. rock — music
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. club — a group
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. club — for dancing
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mug — a face
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wake — a trail
  24. nail — for a hammer

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