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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: tube · stick · rush · jam · wound · face · rock · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. wound — an injury
  3. tube — the underground
  4. face — to confront
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wound — an injury
  7. tube — a container
  8. face — part of the head
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rush — hurry
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. rock — music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. face — to point toward
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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