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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. deal — to handle
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. kid — child
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lie — to recline
  10. kid — to tease
  11. rash — a series
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rash — hasty
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rule — a law
  22. game — a match
  23. present — there
  24. rule — government

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