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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 116 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. last — finally
  4. last — final
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bat — the animal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. dip — to sink
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. last — to go on
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. cabinet — ministers

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