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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. saw — the tool
  4. sharp — clever
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. chest — of your body
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. chest — a box
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. staff — a stick
  15. chest — of your body
  16. saw — the tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. perch — the fish
  19. staff — employees
  20. deal — to handle
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. safe — a strongbox

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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