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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. drill — a practice
  3. firm — decided
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. hand — help
  7. firm — a company
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. swing — music
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. drill — the tool
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. swing — to play on
  18. firm — steady
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. hand — in cards
  24. drill — army training

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