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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. hand — help
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fall — the season
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. hand — in cards
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. plane — a tool
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — a law
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. deal — to handle
  23. foot — a measure
  24. fall — to drop

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