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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. chest — of your body
  4. kick — in football
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. roll — a cake
  7. squash — the sport
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lean — thin
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lean — to bend
  15. roll — a list
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. squash — to crush
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. spell — magic
  23. chest — a box
  24. kick — with a leg

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