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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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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: mine · cap · straw · staff · saw · kick · rest · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cap — of ice
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. staff — employees
  6. deal — to handle
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rest — what's left
  11. staff — employees
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rest — a break
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. staff — a stick
  17. saw — the tool
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. kick — in football
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cap — a lid
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. cap — a hat
  24. kick — a thrill

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