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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pop — soda
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. chip — for betting
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. tube — the underground
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. deal — to handle
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. tube — a container
  22. chip — to eat
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. jam — in traffic

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