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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rest — a break
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. track — to keep track
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. mate — a partner
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mate — a friend
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. rush — hurry

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