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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. spell — a short time
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bound — certain
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. staff — employees
  10. spell — letters
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bass — the fish
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. staff — employees
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bass — low music
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. spell — magic
  24. nail — on a finger

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