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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 120 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: rash · stick · straw · rush · mate · bear · hide · deal

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mate — a partner
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. deal — to handle
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. rash — a series
  15. bear — the animal
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. rash — hasty

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