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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. hand — help
  5. track — a song
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. court — of law
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. track — a path
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. snap — to click
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. court — for sport
  22. track — to keep track
  23. sharp — clever
  24. court — of a king

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