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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 116 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: tube · straw · fall · staff · nail · cold · deal · key

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. key — in music
  3. deal — to handle
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. fall — the season
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tube — a container
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. staff — employees
  12. fall — to drop
  13. staff — a stick
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cold — not warm
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. tube — the underground
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cold — an illness
  21. key — the most important part
  22. staff — employees
  23. fall — to drop
  24. key — for a lock

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