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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. hand — in cards
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. suit — clothes
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. hand — help
  13. bat — the animal
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. deal — to handle
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pass — a permit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. safe — out of danger

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