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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: squash · bound · straw · object · cabinet · wake · racket · can

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. wake — a trail
  2. can — to be able to
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bound — obliged
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. object — to protest
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. can — a tin
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bound — certain
  11. can — a tin
  12. object — an aim
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. squash — the sport
  17. object — a thing
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. squash — to crush
  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