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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 120 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. squash — to crush
  6. board — to get on
  7. craft — boats
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. drill — army training
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. swing — in golf
  13. board — a committee
  14. swing — to play on
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. squash — the sport
  19. craft — a skill
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. swing — music
  24. drill — the tool

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