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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. saw — the tool
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. can — to be able to
  8. land — to come down
  9. bound — tied together
  10. can — a tin
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bound — obliged
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — an illness
  15. land — ground
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bound — certain
  18. dip — to sink
  19. land — a country
  20. suit — clothes
  21. deal — to handle
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cold — not warm
  24. can — a tin

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