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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bound — obliged
  4. hand — in cards
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mug — a face
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cell — a phone
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bound — certain
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. march — the month
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. march — music
  19. mug — to rob
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cell — in biology
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. march — the month
  24. hand — help

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