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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. staff — employees
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. shower — to wash
  6. staff — employees
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pass — a permit
  10. file — a document
  11. shower — rain
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. club — for golf
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bulb — for light
  17. club — a group
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bulb — for light
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. file — a tool

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