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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.

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: roll · stick · squash · bear · tube · craft · suit · bound

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bound — certain
  4. suit — to fit
  5. craft — boats
  6. tube — the underground
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. suit — clothes
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bear — the animal
  15. suit — in cards
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bound — tied together
  18. craft — a skill
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — a list
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bound — obliged
  23. squash — to crush
  24. tube — a container

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