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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. face — part of the head
  9. squash — to crush
  10. shower — rain
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. squash — the sport
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. land — a country
  18. plane — a tool
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. deal — to handle
  23. vault — a safe
  24. squash — the vegetable

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