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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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. deal — to handle
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. scale — size or range
  7. spell — letters
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. chair — a leader
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. scale — in music
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. current — of water
  14. spell — magic
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cell — in biology
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — of ice
  21. spell — a short time
  22. current — electric
  23. cell — a phone
  24. current — happening now

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