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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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 a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. craft — a skill
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kid — to tease
  11. root — the cause
  12. ball — a great time
  13. kid — child
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. craft — boats
  17. root — of a word
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. ball — a dance
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. deal — to handle
  24. straw — dry grass

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