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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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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: can · stand · spell · toast · root · cap · mouse · straw

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. cap — a hat
  3. spell — letters
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. toast — bread
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. root — of a word
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. spell — a short time
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. stand — to bear
  16. spell — magic
  17. cap — of ice
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. cap — a lid
  23. root — the cause
  24. can — a tin

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