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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 120 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. swing — to play on
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fall — the season
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fall — to drop
  18. swing — in golf
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. can — a tin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. swing — music
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cabinet — ministers

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