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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. hand — in cards
  12. rule — government
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rule — a law
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. hand — help

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