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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: wake · can · lie · spring · hand · straw · pass · bore

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hand — in cards
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. can — a tin
  15. hand — help
  16. spring — the season
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. spring — of water
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wake — a trail
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bore — to drill

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