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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 116 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. plane — a tool
  3. rush — hurry
  4. key — in music
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. last — to go on
  8. tube — the underground
  9. band — a music group
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. band — a ring
  12. key — for a lock
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. last — finally
  17. key — the most important part
  18. deal — to handle
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. last — final
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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