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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. fine — high quality
  3. land — ground
  4. fine — all right
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mug — a cup
  9. land — a country
  10. key — in music
  11. hand — in cards
  12. land — to come down
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. key — the most important part
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. key — for a lock
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  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