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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 · suit · racket · craft · straw · lean · bear · snap

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. suit — in cards
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bear — the animal
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. suit — to fit
  8. lean — to bend
  9. tube — the underground
  10. snap — to click
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. suit — clothes
  13. tube — a container
  14. craft — a skill
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bear — the animal
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. lean — thin
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. craft — boats
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — a straw man

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