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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: stick · straw · march · suit · object · can · bark · rock

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bark — to shout
  4. march — the month
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. can — a tin
  7. suit — in cards
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — to protest
  12. march — music
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. suit — to fit
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. march — the month
  21. object — a thing
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bark — of a tree

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