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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: mate · straw · bass · deal · row · bear · race · foot

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bass — the fish
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. race — the arms race
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bass — low music
  10. race — humankind
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. foot — a measure
  13. row — to paddle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — to handle
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mate — a partner
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mate — to breed
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. row — a line
  23. race — a contest
  24. foot — 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