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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. mug — a face
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mug — a cup
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mug — to rob
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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