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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.

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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pop — soda
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pop — to visit
  12. branch — a division
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. saw — the tool
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rule — government
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rule — a law
  24. pop — music

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