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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 116 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: straw · staff · mate · kid · spell · pass · bass · deal

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mate — a friend
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mate — to breed
  10. deal — to handle
  11. spell — magic
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pass — a permit
  14. spell — a short time
  15. staff — employees
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. spell — letters
  18. kid — child
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bass — low music
  21. staff — employees
  22. kid — to tease
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bass — the fish

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