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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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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: straw · trunk · bass · cue · rush · deal · mine · lie

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cue — a hint
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bass — low music
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mine — for digging
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bass — the instrument

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