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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · row · pitcher · fork · straw · spell · tube · cell

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. row — to paddle
  4. spell — letters
  5. cell — a phone
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spell — magic
  8. cell — in biology
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. row — a line
  13. can — a tin
  14. fork — in a road
  15. can — a tin
  16. spell — a short time
  17. tube — a container
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. tube — the underground
  24. fork — to eat with

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