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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 · temple · race · stick · leaves · jam · straw · hand

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. race — the arms race
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. can — a tin
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. race — humankind
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. hand — help
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. race — a contest
  21. can — a tin
  22. hand — in cards
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. leaves — lets stay

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