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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bat — the animal
  9. kid — to tease
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cap — a hat
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stock — goods
  17. kid — child
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cap — a lid
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — shares
  24. wave — of the sea

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