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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: tear · deal · fine · bear · staff · stick · mug · rock

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rock — a stone
  4. staff — employees
  5. rock — music
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fine — all right
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. mug — a cup
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mug — to rob
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. staff — a stick
  22. tear — to rip
  23. tear — from crying
  24. staff — employees

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