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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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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. 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. deal — a big deal
  2. kid — to tease
  3. deal — to handle
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. present — the time now
  9. press — newspapers
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. present — there
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. present — a gift
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — child
  18. 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