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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. roll — a cake
  3. shower — rain
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bear — the animal
  9. drill — the tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. drill — army training
  16. shower — to wash
  17. roll — a list
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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