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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 120 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mug — a cup
  3. deal — to handle
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mug — to rob
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. track — a path
  8. rash — a series
  9. hand — help
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mug — a face
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. track — a song
  18. cell — in biology
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cell — a phone
  21. rash — hasty
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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