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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. ground — a position
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. clip — a video
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wound — an injury
  11. clip — for paper
  12. plane — a tool
  13. suit — clothes
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wound — an injury
  17. suit — in cards
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ground — crushed
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — for dancing
  23. clip — to cut
  24. club — a group

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