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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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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: hand · pound · rush · jam · saw · nail · straw · lash

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pound — a weight
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. hand — help
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rush — hurry
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. hand — in cards
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. straw — dry grass

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