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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. clip — to cut
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. deal — to handle
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. staff — a stick
  8. pass — a permit
  9. clip — a video
  10. bass — the fish
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bass — low music
  13. bark — to shout
  14. clip — for paper
  15. staff — employees
  16. squash — to crush
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. staff — employees
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. pass — to succeed

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