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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.

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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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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. can — a tin
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pop — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. object — to protest
  9. pop — to visit
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. craft — boats
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wound — an injury
  16. can — a tin
  17. craft — a skill
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pop — soda
  20. deal — to handle
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rock — music

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