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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. march — music
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. rush — hurry
  6. suit — clothes
  7. saw — the tool
  8. can — to be able to
  9. suit — to fit
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. suit — in cards
  18. deal — to handle
  19. march — the month
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. march — the month
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wave — with your hand

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