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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
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: can · present · cabinet · season · fan · straw · mine · pitcher

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. can — a tin
  3. present — the time now
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. present — there
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. present — a gift
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

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