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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lean — thin
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. land — to come down
  9. stem — to come from
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bore — to tire
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pitch — completely
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. land — a country
  24. land — ground

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