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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: lean · deal · row · spell · game · dip · present · mine

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. spell — magic
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. row — to paddle
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. lean — thin
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — there
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. spell — a short time
  15. spell — letters
  16. lean — to bend
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. row — a line
  19. game — a match
  20. mine — for digging
  21. dip — to sink
  22. game — wild animals
  23. deal — to handle
  24. dip — a sauce

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