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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bound — obliged
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. chest — of your body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bound — certain
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bat — the animal
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rush — hurry
  22. chest — a box
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bat — in an idiom

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