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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: fan · deal · nail · lash · straw · lean · cap · ground

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cap — of ice
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cap — a hat
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cap — a lid
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. lean — to bend
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. deal — to handle
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lean — thin
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. ground — a position

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