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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: straw · can · stand · hand · deal · hide · bass · spell

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stand — to bear
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bass — the fish
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. deal — to handle
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. hand — in cards
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. spell — a short time
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. spell — letters
  20. bass — low music
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. spell — magic
  24. can — a tin

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