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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rash — a series
  3. hand — in cards
  4. present — the time now
  5. hand — help
  6. present — there
  7. deal — to handle
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. tear — from crying
  11. march — the month
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. march — music
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. march — the month
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rash — hasty
  20. tear — from crying
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. tear — to rip
  23. lean — to bend
  24. arm — part of the body

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