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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 124 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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. kid — to tease
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. kid — child
  12. staff — employees
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mark — a trace
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mark — a grade
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. staff — employees
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. chair — a leader

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