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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
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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: can · straw · toast · cold · trunk · wound · deal · hand

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. toast — bread
  4. can — a tin
  5. hand — in cards
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cold — not warm
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. wound — an injury
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. deal — to handle
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. cold — an illness
  17. hand — help
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. trunk — of a car

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