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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. kick — in football
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rash — hasty
  5. squash — to crush
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cue — a hint
  10. last — finally
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cue — for pool
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cue — a signal
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. squash — the sport
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rash — a series
  24. kick — with a leg

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