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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wake — a trail
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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