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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: straw · toast · staff · drill · rush · can · hand · rash

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. drill — a practice
  3. staff — employees
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. hand — in cards
  6. staff — a stick
  7. hand — help
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. staff — employees
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. drill — army training
  13. can — a tin
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rash — hasty
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rash — a series
  22. rush — hurry
  23. can — a tin
  24. drill — the tool

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