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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. game — a match
  5. wake — a trail
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. face — to confront
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. face — to point toward
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fall — the season
  20. face — part of the head
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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