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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: file · straw · suit · shower · nail · pound · spring · toast

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. spring — a coil
  3. file — a tool
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. file — a line of people
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. spring — of water
  14. suit — to fit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. spring — the season
  17. suit — in cards
  18. shower — rain
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. file — a document
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pound — a weight
  23. toast — bread
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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