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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rock — a stone
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. hand — help
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rock — music
  14. deal — to handle
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wind — moving air
  19. kid — child
  20. rash — a series
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. hand — in cards
  23. kid — to tease
  24. ruler — a monarch

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