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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. can — to be able to
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rest — a break
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. rest — what's left
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. ball — a dance
  13. snap — to click
  14. mate — a friend
  15. can — a tin
  16. mate — to breed
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. can — a tin
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. ball — a great time
  24. trunk — of a car

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