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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. can — to be able to
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wake — a trail
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lean — thin
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. deal — to handle
  11. can — a tin
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. game — a match
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. can — a tin
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. lean — to bend
  22. squash — the sport
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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