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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: straw · object · racket · wind · mine · lean · pass · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. object — a thing
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pass — a permit
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. object — an aim
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. object — to protest
  23. lean — thin
  24. racket — for tennis

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