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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 116 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · wake · straw · mark · can · ruler · tube · cell

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. can — a tin
  4. tube — the underground
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. tube — a container
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. can — to be able to
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cell — in biology
  16. mark — a trace
  17. can — a tin
  18. wake — a trail
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wake — before a funeral

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