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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · straw · can · dip · bowl · last · game · deal

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. can — a tin
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. game — wild animals
  6. last — to go on
  7. can — to be able to
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. game — a match
  14. last — finally
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. last — final
  21. dip — to sink
  22. can — a tin
  23. bark — to shout
  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