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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: mark · saw · deal · bore · jam · straw

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bore — to tire
  4. deal — to handle
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mark — a trace
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bore — to drill
  13. mark — a grade
  14. saw — the tool
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. deal — a big deal

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