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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. perch — the fish
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. net — after costs
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. last — final
  12. fall — to drop
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fall — to drop
  15. net — for catching
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. fall — the season
  18. last — finally
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. last — to go on
  22. net — in sport
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. ruler — a monarch

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