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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: suit · row · present · deal · cold · last · rest · hand

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. last — finally
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. suit — clothes
  7. row — to paddle
  8. suit — to fit
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. rest — a break
  12. present — a gift
  13. last — final
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. rest — what's left
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. last — to go on
  19. hand — in cards
  20. cold — not warm
  21. deal — to handle
  22. rest — what's left
  23. hand — help
  24. deal — an agreement

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