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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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cap — of ice
  3. game — a match
  4. tube — the underground
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cap — a lid
  7. tube — a container
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. game — wild animals
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rush — hurry
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cap — a hat
  24. straw — a straw man

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