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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 116 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 · land · cue · nail · mug · rush · march · firm

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. firm — a company
  3. mug — a face
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. march — the month
  8. mug — to rob
  9. firm — steady
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mug — a cup
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. march — the month
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. firm — decided
  18. rush — hurry
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. land — ground
  24. march — 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