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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. mate — a partner
  3. suit — in cards
  4. tear — from crying
  5. spell — a short time
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mate — to breed
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mate — a friend
  10. spell — magic
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mug — a cup
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. spell — letters
  19. tear — from crying
  20. suit — clothes
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. tear — to rip

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