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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 120 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rest — what's left
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. hand — help
  6. game — a match
  7. rule — a law
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bound — tied together
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. deal — to handle
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rule — government
  18. hand — in cards
  19. game — wild animals
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — obliged
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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