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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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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: lash · deal · court · bear · mug · bowl · tear · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bear — the animal
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. court — of law
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. court — for sport
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. tear — from crying
  18. court — of a king
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. mug — a face
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. deal — a big deal

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