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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: key · can · bore · straw · deal · bound · spell · bowl

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. spell — a short time
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. deal — to handle
  5. can — a tin
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. spell — letters
  10. bound — certain
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. spell — magic
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. key — for a lock
  15. can — a tin
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. key — in music
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bowl — to roll

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