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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.

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: straw · calf · present · land · can · mug · tube · snap

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. land — ground
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. can — a tin
  7. snap — to click
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. present — a gift
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. present — the time now
  13. land — to come down
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tube — the underground
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. land — a country
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. tube — a container
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mug — a cup
  24. present — there

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