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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: lie · mark · can · straw · wave · present · mouse · key

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. present — a gift
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. lie — to recline
  8. key — in music
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. present — there
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mark — a trace
  17. present — the time now
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. key — the most important part
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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