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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. deal — to handle
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. sharp — clever
  7. drill — army training
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. drill — the tool
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. chest — of your body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. club — for golf
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. drill — a practice

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