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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. hand — in cards
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bass — low music
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. rule — government
  8. kid — child
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. kid — to tease
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rule — a law
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. cell — in biology

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