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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 · fan · suit · squash · bore · shower · can · foot

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. suit — clothes
  3. can — a tin
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bore — to drill
  7. shower — to wash
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bore — to tire
  10. suit — to fit
  11. squash — the sport
  12. shower — rain
  13. suit — in cards
  14. foot — a measure
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. can — a tin
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. squash — to crush

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