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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · bat · tube · wound · stand · prune · leaves · straw

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. tube — a container
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stand — to bear
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. wound — an injury
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wound — an injury
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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