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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. deal — to handle
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. swing — music
  11. shower — rain
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. swing — to play on
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. roll — a cake
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. swing — in golf
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. snap — to click
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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