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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.

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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: staff · deal · kid · safe · leaves · bulb · straw · tear

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bulb — for light
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. tear — to rip
  10. kid — child
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. staff — employees
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. tear — from crying
  22. kid — to tease
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. bulb — for light

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