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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. deal — to handle
  6. fall — the season
  7. kid — to tease
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. perch — the fish
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. snap — to click
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. fall — to drop
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. kid — child

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