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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bass — low music
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bound — tied together
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. fork — in a road
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bound — obliged
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bat — the animal
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bound — certain
  24. wave — of the sea

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