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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: tube · straw · stand · rash · nail · bulb · can · stem

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. can — a tin
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stand — to bear
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rash — hasty
  8. bulb — for light
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. rash — a series
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. tube — a container
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. tube — the underground
  24. can — a tin

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