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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. cell — a phone
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. court — for sport
  12. roll — a list
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. cold — an illness
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cold — not warm
  17. rash — a series
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. roll — a cake
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rash — hasty

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