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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: nail · wound · safe · land · season · straw · hand · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hand — in cards
  7. season — of the year
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. land — a country
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. land — ground
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. season — in sport
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. hand — help
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. land — to come down

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