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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. kid — to tease
  9. ball — a dance
  10. deal — to handle
  11. band — a music group
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. kid — child
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. band — a ring
  17. mark — a grade
  18. rest — a break
  19. mark — a trace
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. calf — a young animal

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