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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. firm — decided
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bank — for money
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cold — not warm
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cold — an illness
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. chip — to eat
  11. firm — steady
  12. bank — of a river
  13. chip — for betting
  14. sharp — clever
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bank — for money
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. firm — a company
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. rest — a break
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. rest — what's left

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