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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: lash · wave · nail · board · saw · rest · kid · straw

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rest — a break
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. board — to get on
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — child
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. rest — what's left
  16. board — a committee
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. saw — the tool

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