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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. temple — side of the head
  3. object — a thing
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. object — an aim
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rock — a stone
  8. land — to come down
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rock — music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. clip — a video
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. clip — for paper
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. clip — to cut
  21. deal — to handle
  22. object — to protest
  23. deal — an agreement
  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