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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pound · last · fan · nail · straw · leaves · hide · clip

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. clip — a video
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. clip — to cut
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pound — a weight
  22. clip — for paper
  23. last — final
  24. leaves — to go away

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