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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bore — to tire
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bore — to drill
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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