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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rock — music
  8. band — a music group
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mug — a face
  13. cell — in biology
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cell — a phone
  16. band — a ring
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cell — in a prison

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