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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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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: lean · nail · spell · snap · rule · mark · roll · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mark — a grade
  3. snap — to click
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. roll — a cake
  7. lean — to bend
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. roll — a list
  11. rule — a law
  12. lean — thin
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. spell — letters
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. spell — a short time
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rule — government
  22. mark — a trace
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. spell — magic

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