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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. deal — to handle
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. lean — thin
  6. fine — all right
  7. rock — music
  8. lean — to bend
  9. file — a tool
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. snap — to click
  12. fine — high quality
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. fine — a penalty

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