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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. hand — in cards
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mate — a friend
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mate — to breed
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. hand — help
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lean — to bend
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. dip — to dunk

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