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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: deal · straw · hide · bound · fork · pop · mug · roll

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. deal — to handle
  7. fork — in a road
  8. roll — a cake
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — soda
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. roll — a list
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bound — certain
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pop — music
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mug — a cup
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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