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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. staff — employees
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. chest — a box
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bore — to tire
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bulb — for light
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bore — to drill
  17. date — the fruit
  18. net — for catching
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chest — of your body
  21. net — after costs
  22. chest — of your body
  23. net — in sport
  24. bulb — of a plant

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