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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 don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. rest — a break
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. board — a committee
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pop — soda
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pop — music
  12. mug — a face
  13. roll — a list
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mug — a cup
  18. board — to get on
  19. kid — to tease
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. mug — to rob
  22. deal — to handle
  23. kid — child
  24. roll — a cake

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