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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spell — a short time
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. deal — to handle
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — for pool
  11. spell — letters
  12. roll — a list
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. dip — to sink
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. roll — a cake
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. spell — magic
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. deal — an agreement

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