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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 · land · last · nail · toast · calf · chip · straw

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. chip — to eat
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. toast — bread
  9. land — a country
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. staff — a stick
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. chip — for betting
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. land — ground
  22. staff — employees
  23. last — finally
  24. land — to come down

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