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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 116 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
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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: mine · land · bound · scale · firm · rash · straw · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. land — a country
  7. scale — size or range
  8. firm — decided
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. land — ground
  11. bound — tied together
  12. land — to come down
  13. scale — in music
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. can — a tin
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. can — a tin
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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