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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bound — tied together
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bound — certain
  7. deal — to handle
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rush — hurry
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bound — obliged
  16. tear — from crying
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mate — a partner
  24. tear — to rip

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