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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. board — a committee
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. object — to protest
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. can — to be able to
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. object — an aim
  13. board — to get on
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. kick — in football
  16. rush — hurry
  17. object — a thing
  18. lean — to bend
  19. can — a tin
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lean — thin
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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