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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 120 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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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: kid · staff · stem · straw · hide · pound · hand · deal

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. deal — to handle
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stem — to come from
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. hand — help
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. staff — employees
  17. kid — child
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. kid — to tease
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pound — a weight

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