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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cap — a lid
  3. deal — to handle
  4. cap — of ice
  5. last — finally
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mate — a friend
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. firm — a company
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. last — final
  13. cap — a hat
  14. mate — a partner
  15. firm — decided
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. last — to go on
  22. firm — steady
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bat — in an idiom

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