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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rule — government
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rule — a law
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cold — not warm
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. content — the amount
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. content — happy
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bear — the animal
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. scale — in music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cold — the Cold War

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