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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. race — humankind
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fine — all right
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wake — a trail
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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