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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. scale — in music
  7. bound — tied together
  8. mug — to rob
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bark — to shout
  13. can — a tin
  14. bound — certain
  15. can — to be able to
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. deal — to handle
  21. can — a tin
  22. scale — size or range
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bound — obliged

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