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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. suit — to fit
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. suit — clothes
  5. deal — to handle
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. hand — in cards
  8. charge — electricity
  9. snap — to click
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stand — to bear
  16. charge — a price
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. hand — help
  19. drill — army training
  20. rule — government
  21. charge — in control
  22. drill — the tool
  23. suit — in cards
  24. drill — a practice

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