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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: can · hand · track · club · lie · straw · tube · safe

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. club — a group
  6. track — to keep track
  7. can — to be able to
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. hand — in cards
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. lie — to recline
  21. tube — a container
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. hand — help
  24. lie — an untruth

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