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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. drill — army training
  3. hand — help
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. game — a match
  9. press — to push
  10. lie — to recline
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. deal — to handle
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. drill — the tool
  16. kick — in football
  17. press — newspapers
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. press — a publisher

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