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

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. chest — a box
  3. kid — to tease
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chest — of your body
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cue — for pool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cue — a hint
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. saw — the tool
  22. kid — child
  23. cue — a signal
  24. rush — hurry

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