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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 120 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 · straw · kick · stand · hide · ball · capital · saw

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ball — a great time
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. saw — the tool
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — money
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. kick — in football
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stand — to bear
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ball — a dance
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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