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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. row — to paddle
  3. drill — a practice
  4. fall — to drop
  5. squash — to crush
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. row — a line
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. squash — the sport
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bat — the animal
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bank — for money
  24. fall — the season

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