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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. firm — a company
  11. bass — low music
  12. tear — from crying
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. staff — employees
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. staff — employees
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. firm — decided
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bass — the fish
  21. firm — steady
  22. staff — a stick
  23. tear — to rip
  24. deal — an agreement

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