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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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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: straw · arm · stick · mate · perch · deal · can · bay

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mate — a friend
  3. can — a tin
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mate — a partner
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. perch — the fish
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mate — to breed
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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