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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 116 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 · rule · cue · swing · net · lean · nail · lash

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rule — a law
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. net — in sport
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lean — thin
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. net — after costs
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. swing — to play on
  18. net — for catching
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rule — government
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. swing — music

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