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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: bowl · staff · kick · straw · bay · net · nail · fall

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fall — the season
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. net — for catching
  5. fall — to drop
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. staff — a stick
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. net — after costs
  14. fall — to drop
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. net — in sport
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. kick — in football
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bowl — to roll

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