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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: tube · straw · drill · season · object · rash · stick · jam

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. object — to protest
  4. season — in sport
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. rash — hasty
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rash — a series
  16. season — of the year
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. object — a thing
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. drill — the tool
  24. object — an aim

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