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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: nail · jam · charge · fork · cold · straw · kick · can

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. kick — in football
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. can — to be able to
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. charge — electricity
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. charge — a price
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. cold — not warm
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. fork — in a road
  23. charge — in control
  24. cold — an illness

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