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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mug — to rob
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. land — ground
  7. bore — to tire
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. land — a country
  10. deal — to handle
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bass — low music
  13. lean — thin
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. land — to come down
  18. mug — a face
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mug — a cup

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