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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. spell — letters
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pound — a weight
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. spell — magic
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. cabinet — ministers

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