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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: spring · wind · can · suit · foot · swing · straw · cell

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. foot — a measure
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. can — a tin
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wind — moving air
  6. suit — in cards
  7. swing — music
  8. suit — to fit
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cell — a phone
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. wind — moving air
  15. spring — a coil
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. can — to be able to
  18. suit — clothes
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. can — a tin
  23. foot — the bottom
  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