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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. can — a tin
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. drill — army training
  8. object — an aim
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. chip — for betting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. object — to protest
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. can — a tin
  23. object — a thing
  24. drill — 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