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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. key — the most important part
  7. snap — to click
  8. cold — an illness
  9. object — to protest
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pass — a permit
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. object — an aim
  18. key — in music
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cold — not warm
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. object — a thing

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