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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. squash — the sport
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. suit — clothes
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. cold — an illness
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rule — a law
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. suit — in cards
  19. cold — not warm
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. squash — to crush
  23. rule — government
  24. cold — the Cold War

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