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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. current — of water
  3. bear — the animal
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. court — of law
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. kick — in football
  12. field — farmland
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lie — to recline
  18. court — of a king
  19. field — a subject
  20. wound — an injury
  21. court — for sport
  22. field — for sport
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. lie — an untruth

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