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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rash — a series
  10. ground — a position
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pound — a weight
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. cell — a phone
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hand — help
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cell — in biology

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