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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. 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. can — to be able to
  2. bear — the animal
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. can — a tin
  6. band — a music group
  7. rash — hasty
  8. suit — to fit
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. key — the most important part
  11. can — a tin
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. key — in music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. suit — clothes
  17. key — for a lock
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. band — a ring
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. 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