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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: tube · straw · kid · can · stand · rock · prune · temple

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. prune — to trim
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. kid — to tease
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. kid — child
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rock — music
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rock — a stone
  14. can — a tin
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. tube — the underground
  18. stand — to bear
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tube — a container

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