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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 120 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
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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: straw · can · cabinet · spring · firm · saw · charge · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. firm — a company
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. charge — a price
  8. saw — the tool
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. can — a tin
  12. spring — of water
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. can — a tin
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. firm — steady
  18. spring — the season
  19. tube — a container
  20. spring — a coil
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. firm — decided
  23. saw — the tool
  24. tube — in a tire

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