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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: toast · season · straw · cabinet · tube · snap · can · rash

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. toast — bread
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. rash — hasty
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rash — a series
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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