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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. land — to come down
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rest — a break
  5. march — the month
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rest — what's left
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lie — to recline
  10. march — the month
  11. rest — what's left
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. march — music
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. land — a country
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. land — ground

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