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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: can · tube · ball · stem · content · shower · straw · bound

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ball — a great time
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. tube — the underground
  5. content — the amount
  6. bound — obliged
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bound — tied together
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. ball — a dance
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. shower — rain
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bound — certain
  17. content — happy
  18. can — to be able to
  19. stem — to come from
  20. can — a tin
  21. tube — a container
  22. shower — to wash
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. can — a tin

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