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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 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. can — a tin
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. fall — to drop
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. fall — the season
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bat — the animal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fall — to drop
  16. can — a tin
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. can — to be able to

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