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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: lean · lie · degree · saw · nail · chip · straw · can

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. degree — temperature
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. can — to be able to
  9. degree — from a university
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lean — thin
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. can — a tin
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. can — a tin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. lean — to bend
  22. degree — an amount
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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