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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. drill — the tool
  3. deal — to handle
  4. land — a country
  5. suit — to fit
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. ball — a dance
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. land — to come down
  11. suit — in cards
  12. hand — in cards
  13. net — for catching
  14. drill — a practice
  15. net — in sport
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. suit — clothes
  19. hand — help
  20. land — ground
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. drill — army training
  24. net — after costs

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