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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
468
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 · rest · lean · straw · object · coach · clip · prune

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. object — to protest
  4. clip — a video
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rest — what's left
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. lean — to bend
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. clip — to cut
  19. prune — to trim
  20. rest — a break
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lean — thin
  23. object — a thing
  24. clip — for paper

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