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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
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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 · straw · roll · spell · object · pop · nail · game

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. roll — a cake
  3. pop — to visit
  4. can — a tin
  5. game — a match
  6. pop — music
  7. object — a thing
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. can — to be able to
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pop — soda
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. object — to protest
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. can — a tin
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. roll — a list
  24. game — wild animals

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