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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bore — to tire
  3. file — a document
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. present — there
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. content — happy
  11. present — the time now
  12. bore — to drill
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. deal — to handle
  15. content — the amount
  16. saw — the tool
  17. file — a tool
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. present — a gift
  24. sharp — clever

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