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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. lean — thin
  3. deal — to handle
  4. kid — to tease
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. row — a line
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. kid — child
  11. row — to paddle
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mate — a friend
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. face — to point toward
  20. mate — to breed
  21. hand — help
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mate — a partner

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