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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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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: deal · dip · bay · tear · staff · hand · chip · straw

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. deal — to handle
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. chip — for betting
  8. tear — from crying
  9. dip — to sink
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. hand — in cards
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. staff — employees
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. tear — to rip
  19. chip — to eat
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. hand — help
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bay — a horse colour

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