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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: cabinet · nail · face · straw · club · kick · bay · land

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. face — to confront
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. face — to point toward
  5. kick — in football
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. land — a country
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. club — for golf
  15. face — part of the head
  16. land — ground
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. land — to come down
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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