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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: toast · mug · straw · row · suit · cold · deal · stick

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — an illness
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mug — a cup
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. suit — to fit
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mug — a face
  14. deal — to handle
  15. suit — in cards
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. suit — clothes
  19. toast — bread
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mug — to rob
  22. row — to paddle
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. row — a line

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