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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 · ball · hand · kick · straw · jam · root · clip

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. ball — a dance
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. clip — to cut
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. root — the cause
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. kick — in football
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. can — to be able to
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — for paper
  16. root — of a word
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. root — of a plant
  19. ball — a great time
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. can — a tin
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. jam — a tight spot

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