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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cold — not warm
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bore — to drill
  9. cold — an illness
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bore — to tire
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cold — the Cold War

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