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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. deal — to handle
  5. spring — of water
  6. craft — boats
  7. tube — the underground
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. spring — a coil
  16. scale — in music
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. tube — a container
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rule — government
  23. spring — the season
  24. craft — a skill

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