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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: can · tear · wave · object · trunk · mark · bat · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. tear — from crying
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. tear — to rip
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. object — an aim
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bat — the animal
  18. can — to be able to
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. wave — of the sea

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