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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pit — a hole
  5. firm — a company
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. firm — steady
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. firm — decided
  16. bat — the animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pit — in a race
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. deal — to handle
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. hand — part of the body

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