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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: mine · straw · deal · rush · bark · roll · safe · ball

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rush — hurry
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. roll — a list
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mine — for digging
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. rush — to hurry
  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