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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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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: fork · straw · date · firm · wave · nail · cabinet · bay

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. firm — a company
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. firm — decided
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. firm — steady
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. fork — in a road
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. date — the fruit

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