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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: object · straw · key · can · tear · last · hand · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. can — a tin
  3. object — a thing
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. tear — from crying
  6. key — for a lock
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. last — to go on
  9. rock — music
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rock — a stone
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. key — in music
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. can — a tin
  16. object — an aim
  17. last — finally
  18. tear — from crying
  19. hand — in cards
  20. key — the most important part
  21. hand — help
  22. object — to protest
  23. last — final
  24. can — to be able to

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