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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.

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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: trunk · can · straw · bass · suit · present · charge · hand

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bass — the fish
  4. charge — a price
  5. present — a gift
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. hand — help
  8. bass — low music
  9. charge — in control
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. can — a tin
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. suit — to fit
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. can — to be able to
  18. suit — in cards
  19. charge — electricity
  20. suit — clothes
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. present — there
  23. can — a tin
  24. trunk — 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