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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bank — for money
  4. spell — magic
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. craft — a skill
  8. deal — to handle
  9. craft — boats
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. bank — for money
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. rush — hurry
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. hand — help
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rush — a thrill

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