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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: racket · saw · stick · key · straw · clip · nail · calf

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. clip — to cut
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. saw — the tool
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. key — for a lock
  15. clip — for paper
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. key — the most important part
  18. clip — a video
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. key — in music

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