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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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. mate — a friend
  4. land — to come down
  5. hand — in cards
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mate — to breed
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. land — ground
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. foot — a measure
  14. last — to go on
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mate — a partner
  18. last — final
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. last — finally
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. land — a country

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