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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: bound · can · bulb · foot · chest · toast · straw · bay

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. foot — a measure
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bound — certain
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. toast — bread
  11. chest — a box
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bound — obliged
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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