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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. game — a match
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bore — to drill
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. vault — a safe
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bowl — a football final

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