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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: deal · straw · wind · patient · firm · band · present · bass

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bass — low music
  4. firm — a company
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bass — the fish
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. present — a gift
  14. firm — steady
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. firm — decided
  21. band — a ring
  22. present — there
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. present — the time now

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