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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rush — hurry
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. ball — a dance
  12. shower — rain
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. shower — to wash
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. face — part of the head
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. suit — to fit
  23. face — to confront
  24. file — a document

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