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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cell — a phone
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. can — to be able to
  6. content — the amount
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. can — a tin
  11. present — a gift
  12. plane — a tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. deal — to handle
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. present — there
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cell — in biology
  21. present — the time now
  22. content — happy
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. content — videos and posts

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