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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. suit — in cards
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rest — what's left
  5. saw — the tool
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. suit — clothes
  8. hand — help
  9. face — to confront
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rest — what's left
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mug — to rob
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rest — a break
  20. suit — to fit
  21. face — part of the head
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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