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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 116 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: fan · kid · rush · squash · bound · stick · deal · straw

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. kid — child
  13. squash — to crush
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. deal — to handle
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. deal — an agreement

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