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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 116 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: tear · can · trunk · spell · racket · straw · hand · swing

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. tear — from crying
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. spell — magic
  9. swing — in golf
  10. can — to be able to
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. spell — letters
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. can — a tin
  17. spell — a short time
  18. can — a tin
  19. tear — to rip
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. tear — from crying
  24. hand — help

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