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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. object — a thing
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. firm — a company
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bore — to drill
  9. object — an aim
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. firm — decided
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chip — for betting
  17. cap — a lid
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. firm — steady
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. object — to protest
  24. deal — to handle

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