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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: wave · net · firm · staff · lie · straw · coach · nail

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. staff — employees
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — after costs
  7. lie — to recline
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. firm — steady
  10. staff — employees
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. firm — decided
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. staff — a stick
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. net — for catching
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. net — in sport
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. firm — a company

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