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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. face — to point toward
  4. land — a country
  5. suit — clothes
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. suit — to fit
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. land — to come down
  11. face — to confront
  12. roll — a cake
  13. stem — to come from
  14. kid — to tease
  15. roll — a list
  16. suit — in cards
  17. kid — child
  18. deal — to handle
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. land — ground
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. face — part of the head
  24. racket — a loud noise

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