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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: nail · ball · tear · straw · object · suit · band · perch

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. tear — from crying
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. ball — a great time
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. tear — from crying
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. perch — the fish
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a music group
  18. ball — a dance
  19. object — to protest
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. object — an aim
  22. suit — clothes
  23. tear — to rip
  24. band — a ring

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