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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cue — a hint
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fall — the season
  6. lean — to bend
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rule — government
  9. swing — to play on
  10. lean — thin
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. date — the fruit
  16. swing — music
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rule — a law
  20. fall — to drop
  21. swing — in golf
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. arm — a part of something

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