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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: present · can · toast · clip · straw · firm · swing · ball

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. present — the time now
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. clip — for paper
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. can — a tin
  10. swing — to play on
  11. firm — steady
  12. clip — to cut
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. clip — a video
  16. ball — a great time
  17. firm — decided
  18. ball — a dance
  19. swing — in golf
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. firm — a company
  23. toast — bread
  24. swing — music

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