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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. fall — to drop
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. board — to get on
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. cue — a hint
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. fall — the season
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. board — a committee
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cold — an illness

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