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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. race — a contest
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hand — in cards
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. hand — help
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. race — the arms race
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. race — humankind
  17. stand — to bear
  18. 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