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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · perch · deal · hand · ruler · dip · bat · lean

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. perch — the fish
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. dip — to sink
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bat — the animal
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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