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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: leaves · bound · nail · ground · rock · fan · present · straw

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bound — tied together
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bound — obliged
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — the earth
  14. present — the time now
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bound — certain
  19. rock — a stone
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. present — a gift
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. present — there
  24. nail — on a finger

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