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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. staff — employees
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. hand — in cards
  8. date — the fruit
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. roll — a list
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. hand — help
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. staff — employees
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. ground — the earth
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. wave — with your hand

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