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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: racket · tear · stand · land · content · saw · can · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stand — to bear
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. can — a tin
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — the amount
  10. land — ground
  11. land — to come down
  12. can — to be able to
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tear — to rip
  19. land — a country
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. can — a tin
  23. content — happy
  24. stand — on your feet

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