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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bound — certain
  3. dip — to sink
  4. game — wild animals
  5. date — the fruit
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bound — obliged
  14. mine — for digging
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. deal — to handle
  24. bound — tied together

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