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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: staff · bound · straw · lie · pass · roll · deal · trunk

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. deal — to handle
  3. staff — employees
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. staff — a stick
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. staff — employees
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bound — tied together
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — a list

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