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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: straw · plane · snap · nail · wind · tube · roll · bay

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. snap — to click
  10. wind — moving air
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. tube — the underground
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. roll — a cake
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. tube — a container
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. wind — to turn a key

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