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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. deal — to handle
  3. roll — a list
  4. mug — a face
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. mug — to rob
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mug — a cup
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. can — a tin
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tube — a container
  14. present — there
  15. can — a tin
  16. fall — to drop
  17. present — a gift
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. tube — the underground
  23. can — to be able to
  24. deal — a big deal

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