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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: present · chair · lie · nail · straw · track · racket · squash

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. present — there
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. track — a path
  8. chair — a leader
  9. present — a gift
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. track — to keep track
  13. squash — the sport
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. squash — to crush
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. lie — to recline
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. present — the time now
  23. track — a song
  24. nail — for a hammer

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