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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: straw · capital · clip · hide · firm · chip · stick · nail

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. firm — steady
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. chip — to eat
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. firm — a company
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. firm — decided
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. capital — a city
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. clip — a video
  22. capital — money
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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