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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 116 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: deal · clip · bound · tube · bore · straw · hand · root

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. deal — to handle
  5. clip — for paper
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bore — to drill
  10. root — of a word
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bound — certain
  13. hand — help
  14. clip — a video
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bore — to tire
  18. hand — in cards
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. root — the cause
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. straw — a straw man

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