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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: kid · straw · fine · band · drill · mug · can · last

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. last — finally
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. drill — army training
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. last — final
  9. mug — a face
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. band — a ring
  14. drill — the tool
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mug — to rob
  17. last — to go on
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. drill — a practice

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