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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. capital — money
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. hand — in cards
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. capital — a city
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — letters

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