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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: straw · can · rest · tear · squash · track · racket · cabinet

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rest — what's left
  3. can — a tin
  4. squash — to crush
  5. rest — a break
  6. tear — to rip
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. track — a path
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. rest — what's left
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. tear — from crying
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. squash — the sport
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tear — from crying
  19. track — to keep track
  20. can — to be able to
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. can — a tin
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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