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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: mug · nail · fan · wake · straw · chair · stock · pound

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. chair — a leader
  11. mug — a face
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. stock — shares
  18. pound — a weight
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. stock — goods
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pound — to hit hard

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