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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · hand · mate · straw · staff · pound · saw · lie

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mate — to breed
  3. hand — help
  4. staff — employees
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — a friend
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. staff — employees
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. straw — dry grass

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