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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: toast · hand · spring · mug · straw · can · game · ball

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. hand — help
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. ball — a dance
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. can — a tin
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a match
  13. mug — to rob
  14. toast — bread
  15. can — a tin
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. hand — in cards
  21. can — to be able to
  22. spring — the season
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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