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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. lean — thin
  3. mug — to rob
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fine — high quality
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — a cup
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. craft — boats
  11. rest — a break
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. shower — to wash
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lean — to bend
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. shower — rain
  20. fine — all right
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rest — what's left
  23. craft — a skill
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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