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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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. spring — of water
  4. mark — a trace
  5. kid — child
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mark — a grade
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. kid — to tease
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. suit — in cards
  12. spring — a coil
  13. shower — to wash
  14. suit — clothes
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. shower — rain
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. spring — the season
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. suit — to fit
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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