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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 120 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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mate — a partner
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. hand — help
  6. sharp — clever
  7. hand — in cards
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mate — a friend
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. fine — all right
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. fine — high quality
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. hide — to keep secret

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