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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. snap — to click
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. can — to be able to
  5. chip — to eat
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wind — moving air
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — a tin
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. can — a tin
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cue — a signal
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wind — moving air
  24. perch — the fish

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