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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: row · nail · squash · bay · saw · staff · pass · lean

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. saw — the tool
  3. squash — to crush
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pass — a permit
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. saw — the tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. row — a line
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. lean — thin
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. lean — to bend
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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