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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rule — a law
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. game — a match
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. capital — a city
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rule — government
  17. game — wild animals
  18. capital — money

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