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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: deal · fork · hide · straw · bank · pit · cabinet · leaves

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pit — a hole
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. pit — in a race
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cabinet — ministers

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