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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: stick · bound · deal · cue · straw · calf · hand · saw

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cue — a signal
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. saw — the tool
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. deal — to handle
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cue — for pool
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bound — certain
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cue — a hint
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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