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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lie — to recline
  4. sharp — clever
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. mate — a partner
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. deal — to handle
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — a safe
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. field — for sport
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. mate — to breed
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mate — a friend
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lie — an untruth

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