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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: net · straw · shower · spell · spring · nail · swing · staff

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. spring — the season
  4. swing — to play on
  5. net — for catching
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. swing — music
  8. spell — magic
  9. staff — employees
  10. shower — to wash
  11. staff — employees
  12. shower — rain
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. spring — a coil
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. net — after costs
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. net — in sport
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spell — letters
  22. spring — of water
  23. spell — a short time
  24. staff — a stick

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