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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: mouse · bulb · staff · roll · saw · coach · straw · deal

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. staff — a stick
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. roll — a list
  15. bulb — for light
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. staff — employees
  21. bulb — for light
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. roll — a cake

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