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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fine — all right
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. kid — child
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pound — a weight
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kid — to tease
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. fine — high quality
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. dip — to sink
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. hand — help
  24. dip — a sauce

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