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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bore — to drill
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cue — a hint
  16. toast — bread
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. pass — a permit
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  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