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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · bay · net · saw · ground · toast · nail · straw

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. net — after costs
  5. toast — bread
  6. ground — crushed
  7. saw — the tool
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. ground — a position
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mine — for digging
  14. ground — the earth
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. net — for catching
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. saw — the tool
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. net — in sport
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. mine — belonging to me

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