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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lean — thin
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. lean — to bend
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mark — a trace
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mark — a grade
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. ruler — for measuring

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