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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bank — of a river
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. file — a line of people
  8. deal — to handle
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. bound — certain
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bank — for money
  14. file — a tool
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. squash — the sport
  17. bank — for money
  18. squash — to crush
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bound — obliged
  21. file — a document
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. drill — the tool
  24. deal — an agreement

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