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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. can — a tin
  3. ball — a great time
  4. can — to be able to
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. net — in sport
  8. key — for a lock
  9. dip — to sink
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. net — after costs
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. net — for catching
  15. can — a tin
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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