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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rush — hurry
  13. spring — of water
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tube — the underground
  16. spring — a coil
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. tube — a container
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spring — the season

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