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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cue — for pool
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. cue — a hint
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. object — an aim
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rest — a break
  22. object — a thing
  23. pound — a weight
  24. object — to protest

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