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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: rash · rush · mine · straw · dip · spell · deal · board

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mine — for digging
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rush — hurry
  8. spell — a short time
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. spell — magic
  16. board — a committee
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. board — to get on
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. spell — letters
  24. rush — a thrill

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