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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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 — a tin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rush — hurry
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. can — a tin
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. can — to be able to
  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