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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: wind · deal · straw · mouse · charge · patient · can · lie

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. charge — a price
  5. wind — moving air
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. can — a tin
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. deal — to handle
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. lie — to recline
  14. wind — moving air
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. charge — in control
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. can — a tin
  22. charge — electricity
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. straw — a straw man

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