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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: staff · wake · nail · suit · firm · rule · saw · tear

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rule — government
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tear — to rip
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. staff — employees
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. firm — a company
  13. staff — a stick
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. tear — from crying
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. tear — from crying
  21. staff — employees
  22. firm — steady
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. firm — decided

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