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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: bore · last · bowl · nail · rest · cap · straw · snap

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. last — to go on
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. last — final
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a lid
  15. last — finally
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rest — a break
  20. snap — to click
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cap — a hat

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