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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rule — a law
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. hand — in cards
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. rule — government
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. hand — help
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pit — a hole
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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