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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.

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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bass — low music
  7. prune — to trim
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a line
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. deal — to handle
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cue — for pool
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. lie — to recline
  24. arm — part of the body

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