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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · deal · bay · mouse · hand · bear · spring · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. deal — to handle
  3. land — to come down
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spring — of water
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. land — a country
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — the season
  22. land — ground
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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