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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. key — the most important part
  3. hand — in cards
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. hand — help
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. prune — to trim
  8. staff — employees
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. squash — to crush
  11. staff — employees
  12. key — for a lock
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. prune — to trim
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. deal — to handle
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. staff — a stick
  22. vault — a safe
  23. key — in music
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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