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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 120 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. hand — in cards
  3. mug — to rob
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mug — a cup
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. can — a tin
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. can — to be able to
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. can — a tin
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. drill — the tool
  20. hand — help
  21. stand — to bear
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mug — a face

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