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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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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: deal · cue · rash · leaves · snap · bowl · tear · dip

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. deal — to handle
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rash — hasty
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rash — a series
  11. tear — from crying
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. cue — for pool
  17. snap — to click
  18. tear — to rip
  19. dip — to sink
  20. cue — a signal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. cue — a hint

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