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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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Word bank
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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: cabinet · deal · hand · fall · straw · fork · date · bound

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. 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. fork — in a road
  2. fall — the season
  3. hand — in cards
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fall — to drop
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — tied together
  10. deal — to handle
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bound — certain
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. hand — help
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fall — to drop
  22. date — the fruit
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. 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