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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mate — a friend
  5. deal — to handle
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. mate — to breed
  11. land — ground
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mug — a cup
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. mug — to rob
  20. kid — to tease
  21. mug — a face
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. kid — child
  24. hide — to keep secret

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