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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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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. can — to be able to
  3. object — a thing
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. lean — to bend
  7. can — a tin
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bound — certain
  10. plane — a tool
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. drill — army training
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rush — hurry
  15. can — a tin
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lean — thin
  21. object — to protest
  22. drill — a practice
  23. object — an aim
  24. drill — the tool

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