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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. kid — to tease
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. kid — child
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rash — a series
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fork — in a road
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rash — hasty
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bear — the animal

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