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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 116 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: mug · pop · tube · bear · racket · rest · saw · straw

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mug — a face
  3. rest — what's left
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. saw — the tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pop — to visit
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rest — a break
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rest — what's left

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