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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. current — electric
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. squash — to crush
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. kid — child
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. current — of water
  16. can — a tin
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. current — happening now
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. squash — the sport

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