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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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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: ball · nail · rash · bound · dip · cell · deal · net

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bound — certain
  3. cell — in biology
  4. net — in sport
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. ball — a great time
  7. net — for catching
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bound — tied together
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bound — obliged
  17. ball — a dance
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cell — a phone
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. net — after costs
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. dip — to sink

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