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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. tube — the underground
  3. lean — thin
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. tube — a container
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lean — to bend
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. squash — the sport
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. deal — to handle
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — a list
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

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