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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 116 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. content — happy
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rash — a series
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. deal — to handle
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rash — hasty
  13. content — the amount
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. trunk — of a car

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