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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 116 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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. deal — to handle
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wound — an injury
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. land — to come down
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wound — an injury
  12. kid — to tease
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. kid — child
  17. squash — to crush
  18. hand — help
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. land — a country
  22. squash — the sport
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. leaves — lets stay

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