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

Word bank: rest · saw · game · content · deal · tear · bay · stick

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. content — the amount
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. tear — to rip
  10. game — wild animals
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rest — what's left
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. game — a match
  18. rest — a break
  19. tear — from crying
  20. content — happy
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. tear — from crying
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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