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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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468
Word bank
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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — to crush
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mate — a partner
  14. saw — the tool
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mate — a friend
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. can — to be able to
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mate — to breed
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. saw — the tool

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