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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fork — in a road
  14. bat — the animal
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rush — hurry
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. deal — an agreement

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