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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. spring — of water
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. spring — the season
  7. cold — an illness
  8. current — happening now
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. spring — a coil
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wake — a trail
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rush — hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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