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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. spell — letters
  13. bore — to drill
  14. spell — a short time
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bore — to tire
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pound — a weight
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. spell — magic

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