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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: straw · leaves · staff · mate · nail · rush · lash · saw

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mate — to breed
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rush — hurry
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. saw — the tool
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rush — to hurry

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