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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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. key — in music
  4. mark — a trace
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. mark — a grade
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. spell — magic
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. spring — a coil
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. key — for a lock
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. key — the most important part
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. spell — letters
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. snap — to click
  22. spell — a short time
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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