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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: date · rash · row · deal · suit · toast · saw · hand

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. deal — to handle
  6. hand — help
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — a series
  11. toast — bread
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. suit — in cards
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. suit — to fit
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. suit — clothes
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. hand — in cards
  24. deal — a big deal

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