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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. march — the month
  4. lie — to recline
  5. game — wild animals
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. deal — to handle
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. current — happening now
  10. game — a match
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. current — of water
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. current — electric
  24. cabinet — ministers

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