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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · tear · foot · straw · bear · deal

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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. foot — the bottom
  4. bear — the animal
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. tear — from crying
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tube — the underground
  16. deal — to handle
  17. tear — from crying
  18. deal — an agreement

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