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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.

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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: suit · mug · fine · straw · can · mine · wake · pound

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mug — a face
  8. can — to be able to
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wake — a trail
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mug — to rob
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mug — a cup
  23. fine — all right
  24. can — a tin

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