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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. can — a tin
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. can — a tin
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. dip — to sink
  8. can — to be able to
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. season — in sport
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mate — a partner
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mate — to breed
  18. spring — a coil
  19. season — of the year
  20. bear — the animal
  21. spring — the season
  22. mate — a friend
  23. hand — in cards
  24. spring — of water

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