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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 116 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: scale · can · snap · rush · land · straw · staff · pound

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. snap — to click
  3. staff — employees
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rush — hurry
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. can — a tin
  8. land — to come down
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. land — ground
  11. staff — employees
  12. pound — a weight
  13. staff — a stick
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. can — to be able to
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. can — a tin
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. land — a country
  22. scale — in music
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. rush — a thrill

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