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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: dip · wave · game · leaves · roll · lie · kid · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. kid — child
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. lie — to recline
  8. roll — a cake
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. game — wild animals
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a list
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. game — a match
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. kid — to tease
  21. dip — to sink
  22. deal — to handle
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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