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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: stick · mate · fine · straw · object · can · spell · staff

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. spell — magic
  3. mate — to breed
  4. staff — a stick
  5. can — a tin
  6. mate — a partner
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. can — a tin
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. staff — employees
  14. fine — high quality
  15. object — to protest
  16. can — to be able to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spell — letters
  19. fine — all right
  20. object — an aim
  21. staff — employees
  22. object — a thing
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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