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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. branch — a division
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. hand — help
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rule — a law
  8. wind — moving air
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mate — a friend
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. rule — government

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