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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: club · stand · bear · dip · nail · drill · straw · net

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. dip — to sink
  7. net — for catching
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — the tool
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. net — in sport
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. drill — army training
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. net — after costs
  20. club — a group
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. club — for golf
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stand — to bear

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