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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: nail · row · ball · board · deal · rash · straw · chair

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. rash — a series
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. board — a committee
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. row — a line
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. chair — a leader
  11. ball — a great time
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. board — to get on
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. ball — a dance
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rash — hasty
  21. row — to paddle
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. deal — to handle
  24. straw — a straw man

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