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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bound — tied together
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. staff — employees
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — music
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bound — certain
  16. staff — employees
  17. bound — obliged
  18. mate — to breed
  19. swing — in golf
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. deal — to handle

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