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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. snap — to click
  4. rule — a law
  5. deal — to handle
  6. key — in music
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. ground — a position
  14. key — the most important part
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. ground — the earth
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. key — for a lock
  20. last — to go on
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mate — a partner
  23. ground — crushed
  24. rule — government

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