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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. band — a ring
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. wound — an injury
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. swing — to play on
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rule — government
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rule — a law
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pound — a weight
  24. swing — music

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