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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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. degree — temperature
  4. capital — a city
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. capital — money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. deal — to handle
  9. press — a publisher
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. degree — from a university
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. degree — an amount
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. press — to push
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rush — hurry
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. safe — out of danger

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