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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: foot · present · rash · can · squash · pound · straw · stand

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. present — a gift
  3. can — to be able to
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. can — a tin
  7. rash — hasty
  8. present — there
  9. pound — a weight
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. rash — a series
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stand — to bear
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. present — the time now
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — part of the body

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