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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: nail · drill · bay · mouse · straw · roll · stick · leaves

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. drill — the tool
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. roll — a cake
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. drill — army training
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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