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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 116 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. rash — a series
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. mate — a friend
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fall — to drop
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. pop — to visit
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fall — the season
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fall — to drop

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