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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wound — an injury
  5. deal — to handle
  6. roll — a cake
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bat — the animal
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stock — goods
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stock — shares
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mug — a face
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. suit — clothes
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. mug — to rob
  23. suit — to fit
  24. roll — a list

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