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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. deal — to handle
  3. lie — to recline
  4. hand — in cards
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rest — what's left
  12. object — a thing
  13. content — the amount
  14. object — to protest
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. object — an aim
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. calf — a young animal

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