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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rash — hasty
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pound — a weight
  9. hand — in cards
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. can — to be able to
  16. mark — a trace
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rash — a series
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. hand — help
  21. mark — a grade
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. pound — to hit hard

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