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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: bass · leaves · straw · dip · deal · saw · prune · race

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. dip — to sink
  3. saw — the tool
  4. prune — to trim
  5. deal — to handle
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bass — low music
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. race — the arms race
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bass — the fish
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. race — a contest
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. prune — to trim
  22. race — humankind
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. dip — a sauce

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