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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mate — a friend
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. roll — a list
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — a practice
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. roll — a cake
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. deal — to handle
  24. nail — for a hammer

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