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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ball — a dance
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ball — a great time
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rest — a break
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. saw — the tool
  12. hand — help
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. deal — to handle
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. dip — to sink
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. rest — what's left
  24. hand — in cards

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