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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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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: kick · staff · straw · cell · nail · wind · mouse · mug

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wind — moving air
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mug — a face
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. staff — a stick
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cell — in biology
  17. staff — employees
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. staff — employees
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cell — a phone
  24. straw — a straw man

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