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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rest — a break
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. can — a tin
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. can — a tin
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pit — in a race
  11. rest — what's left
  12. squash — the sport
  13. deal — to handle
  14. pit — a hole
  15. hand — help
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rest — what's left
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. can — to be able to
  20. spell — magic
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. spell — letters
  24. deal — an agreement

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