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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. key — for a lock
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. deal — to handle
  8. key — the most important part
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. ball — a dance
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. key — in music
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. snap — to click
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. mine — for digging

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